FBI Arrests Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan on Obstruction Charges, Accused of Aiding Immigrant Evade ICE
MILWAUKEE, WI (STL.News) In a move that has sent shockwaves through the legal community and intensified the ongoing clash between federal immigration enforcement and local judicial authority, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI on Friday morning, April 25, 2025. Federal prosecutors have charged the sitting judge with felony obstruction and concealment, alleging she actively interfered with an attempt by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to arrest an undocumented immigrant inside the Milwaukee County Courthouse last week.
The dramatic arrest marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s stated commitment to aggressive immigration enforcement and its pushback against perceived obstacles from local officials and the judiciary. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, who decry it as an unprecedented attack on judicial independence. At the same time, top administration officials defend the action as necessary to uphold the rule of law.
The Courthouse Incident: April 18
According to the federal criminal complaint filed Thursday and unsealed Friday, the events leading to Judge Dugan’s arrest unfolded on April 18th. A specialized task force, comprising agents from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse with plans to execute an administrative immigration warrant for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz.
Flores-Ruiz, a 29-year-old Mexican national who had been previously deported in 2013 and allegedly re-entered the U.S. unlawfully, was scheduled to appear before Judge Dugan for a pre-trial conference on unrelated state misdemeanor charges. These charges stemmed from a March incident involving domestic battery, reportedly related to a dispute over loud music.
The federal affidavit details that the plainclothes agents intended to arrest Flores-Ruiz in a public hallway after his court appearance. However, upon learning of the agents’ presence – reportedly alerted by her clerk after an attorney observed and possibly photographed the agents – Judge Dugan allegedly became “visibly angry,” pronounced the situation “absurd,” and briefly left the bench.
Witness accounts included in the complaint state that Judge Dugan then confronted the federal agents in the hallway, accompanied by another judge. She allegedly questioned their authority, demanded a judicial warrant (agents possessed an administrative ICE warrant, which some local policies instruct local law enforcement not to honor independently), and directed the team to the Chief Judge’s office.
Crucially, prosecutors allege that once the agents were directed away from her immediate courtroom vicinity, Judge Dugan returned to the bench. Instead of proceeding with the hearing for Flores-Ruiz, despite victims reportedly being present, she allegedly told Flores-Ruiz and his attorney, “Wait, come with me.” The complaint asserts that Judge Dugan then personally escorted both men through a restricted “jury door,” leading to a non-public area of the courthouse. The affidavit emphasizes that this action was highly unusual, as the door is typically reserved for court staff, jurors, and deputies escorting in-custody defendants, not for defense attorneys or defendants who are free on bond.
Federal officials contend this action directly enabled Flores-Ruiz to evade custody temporarily. Agents eventually spotted him elsewhere in the courthouse, pursued him on foot outside, and apprehended him nearby.
Charges, Arrest, and Initial Response
Judge Dugan, 65, was arrested by FBI agents Friday morning on the grounds of the courthouse where she presides. She faces two federal felony charges: obstruction of proceedings before a department or agency of the United States (carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison) and concealing a person from arrest (carrying a maximum penalty of one year).
Following a brief initial appearance in federal court Friday afternoon, Judge Dugan was released from custody on her recognizance, pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 15.
Her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, stated during the hearing, “Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety.” He did not offer further comment outside the courtroom.
Administration Defends, Critics Condemn
The Trump administration swiftly framed the arrest as a necessary enforcement action. FBI Director Kash Patel initially announced the arrest on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), accusing the judge of “intentionally misdirecting” agents and claiming her actions “created increased danger to the public,” though the post was later deleted.
Attorney General Pam Bondi forcefully defended the arrest, linking it to a similar recent case involving a former New Mexico judge accused of harboring an alleged gang member. “The allegations against Judge Dugan… are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations,” Bondi said in a statement. “Doing so imperils the safety of our law enforcement officers and undermines the rule of law… no one is above the law.” Speaking later on Fox News, Bondi issued a stark warning to the judiciary, calling Dugan “deranged” and stating, “We are sending a very strong message today… If you are harboring a fugitive… we will come after you and we will prosecute you.”
Critics immediately condemned the arrest as a dangerous overreach and an assault on the separation of powers. Protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse in Milwaukee, chanting, “Free the judge now.” The Alliance for Justice called it an “unprecedented escalation,” stating, “The Trump administration has officially declared war on not just the courts as an institution, but individual judges he does not agree with.” Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin described the arrest as fitting a “deeply concerning pattern of this President’s lawless behavior and undermining courts.”
Legal analysts note that proving the “corrupt intent” required for an obstruction charge can be challenging. Former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa suggested that the arrest might be intended more “to send a message” and could potentially have a “chilling effect” on judges nationwide who navigate the complex intersection of state court proceedings and federal immigration enforcement.
Broader Implications
The arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan, a veteran judge elected in 2016 who previously worked for legal aid organizations, transcends the specific details of the April 18 incident. It serves as a stark flashpoint in the ongoing national debate over immigration policy, the role of sanctuary cities or policies limiting local cooperation with federal immigration agents, and the boundaries of judicial authority versus executive branch enforcement powers.
As the case against Judge Dugan proceeds, it will be closely watched not only in Wisconsin but across the country, likely fueling further debate about the appropriate conduct of judges, the tactics of federal law enforcement, and the deep political and legal divides surrounding immigration in America under the Trump administration.
