FBI arrests Wisconsin Judge Dugan on obstruction charge, escalates Trump immigration enforcement effort

Published Fri, Apr 25 202510:37 AM EDTUpdated 27 Min Ago

Kevin Breuninger@KevinWilliamB

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Key Points

• Federal agents arrested Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan on obstruction charges, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
• Patel made the announcement in an X post, which was quickly deleted.
• Dugan is accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest, according to Patel.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, Jan. 30, 2025.

Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images

Federal agents arrested a Wisconsin judge on Friday after she allegedly helped an undocumented immigrant evade arrest.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced in an X post that Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has been charged with obstruction for allegedly assisting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz in avoiding arrest after he appeared in her courtroom last week.

Hannah Dugan speaks as she was seeking election to Milwaukee County Circuit Court during a forum at the Milwaukee Bar Association in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., March 15, 2016.

Mike De Sisti | Via Reuters

A U.S. Marshals Service spokeswoman confirmed to CNBC that Dugan was arrested at about 8:30 a.m. local time on courthouse property.

The arrest of a judge marks a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to remove undocumented immigrants from the U.S.

Dugan was released on bond after making her initial appearance Friday morning in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee before Magistrate Judge Stephen Dries, according to her case docket. Dugan’s “arraignment and plea” proceeding is set for May 15, the docket shows.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Carl Ashley told NBC that the judicial code of conduct restricts him from commenting on the matter, but said Dugan’s court calendar “will be covered by another judge as needed.”

FBI Director Kash Patel on the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan.

FBIDirectorKash via X, formerly Twitter

Patel in his tweet wrote that the FBI believes Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away” from Flores-Ruiz as agents were attempting to arrest him at her courthouse.

“Thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public,” Patel said in the post.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Tuesday that the FBI was looking into Dugan’s conduct surrounding an attempted arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at her courthouse on April 18.

On that day, Dugan “became visibly angry” after learning that ICE agents were waiting in the hallway to arrest Flores-Ruiz after a hearing in his criminal battery case, according to a sworn affidavit unsealed Friday.

Dugan and another judge entered the hallway and confronted the arrest team, telling one deportation officer that he needed a judicial warrant to make an arrest instead of an “administrative warrant.” Dugan then ordered them to the chief judge’s office, the affidavit alleged.

After returning to her courtroom, Dugan “escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel” through a jury door, which leads to a nonpublic area of the building, the affidavit stated, citing “multiple witnesses.”

Flores-Ruiz and his attorney then returned to the hallway and took an elevator down to leave the building, the special agent alleged. After being told that Flores-Ruiz was in front of the courthouse, agents ran toward him and identified themselves as law enforcement officers.

“Flores-Ruiz turned around and sprinted down the street. A foot chase ensued,” according to the affidavit.

“The agents pursued Flores-Ruiz for the entire length of the courthouse and ultimately apprehended him near the intersection of W. State Street and 10th Street. Flores-Ruiz was handcuffed and detained,” it alleged.

Dugan’s criminal complaint shows she has been charged with concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest, and obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a federal department or agency.