Judge Arrested By FBI—Allegedly Helped Undocumented Immigrant Avoid Arrest

Topline

Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI on Friday for allegedly trying to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in her courtroom, according to FBI Director Kash Patel, who wrote in a since-deleted post on X that Dugan faces obstruction charges.

Evidence suggests Dugan obstructed an immigration arrest operation last week, FBI Director Kash … More Patel said.

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Key Facts

Dugan, 65, was arrested on Friday after she allegedly obstructed an immigration arrest operation last week, according to Patel, who claimed Dugan “intentionally misdirected” federal agents away from their target, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, after he appeared in her courtroom.

U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron told Forbes that Dugan, who denied the claims earlier this week in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was arrested at about 8 a.m. at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

Dugan was released after appearing on court Friday morning, and there is an arraignment scheduled for May 15, multiple outlets reported.

Chief Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley reportedly said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents came to the courthouse on April 18 with an arrest warrant, though Ashley did not say whether Dugan was involved or if there was an investigation into her conduct.

Patel wrote in his now-deleted post that Ruiz was arrested, though Dugan’s “obstruction created increased danger to the public.”

Neither Ashley, the Justice Department nor the FBI immediately responded to requests for comment.

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Crucial Quote

Speaking on Fox News around 1 p.m. EDT, Attorney General Pam Bondi—who confirmed Dugan’s arrest in a post on X—said: “What has happened to our judiciary is beyond me … they are deranged … we are sending a very strong message today, if you are harboring a fugitive we don’t care who you are … we will come after you and we will prosecute you.”

Contra

Other judges and former officials at the Milwaukee County Courthouse have questioned whether ICE officials presented the correct type of warrant at the time. Judge Marisabel Cabrera told the Journal Sentinel that ICE agents presented an administrative warrant, not a judicial warrant, which would have allowed officials to enter the court and issue an arrest.

Key Background

The arrest stems from an incident in Dugan’s courtroom on April 18, when ICE agents reportedly entered her courthouse to arrest Ruiz. Ashley told the Sentinel Journal the ICE agents were asked to wait until a hearing between Dugan and Ruiz concluded. During the hearing, Dugan directed Ruiz and his attorney to a side door in the courtroom and down a private hallway to a public area on the courthouse’s sixth floor, though it’s unclear where and when Ruiz was arrested. Dugan, a Milwaukee native, has served as a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge for nine years and previously served as president of the Milwaukee Bar Association. She ran unopposed in the 2022 election.

Tangent

Dugan’s arrest comes after the Justice Department warned in January that prosecutors would investigate state or local officials they believed “threaten to impede” the Trump administration’s immigration efforts. Shortly after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the White House said the “largest deportation operation” in U.S. history was underway, though efforts have often faced challenges in court.