Federal prosecutors have taken a significant step by charging a Milwaukee judge, Hannah Dugan, with obstructing an immigration arrest operation. This escalation is part of the Justice Department's ongoing efforts to hold local officials accountable for allegedly interfering with immigration enforcement. The news of Dugan's arrest was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on the social media platform X.
According to Patel, Judge Dugan is accused of intentionally misdirecting federal agents who arrived at the courthouse to detain an immigrant scheduled to appear before her last Friday in an unrelated case. Court filings reveal that Dugan sent the agents away from the hearing and subsequently escorted the individual and his attorney out through a private exit. "Thankfully, our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since," Patel stated. "But the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public."
Judge Dugan faces serious charges, including felony counts of obstruction and concealing a person from arrest. The most serious charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. During a brief court appearance in Milwaukee, Dugan's attorney, Craig Mastantuono, expressed her regret over the arrest. "Ms. Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest," he stated, urging the court to allow her release and arguing that the arrest was not made in the interest of public safety.
Mastantuono refrained from making further comments after the court proceedings. The case has attracted significant media attention, prompting the Washington Post to encourage readers to report any tips related to the Justice Department and FBI.
Since President Donald Trump's return to the White House, the Justice Department has instructed federal prosecutors across the nation to investigate and potentially charge state and local officials who impede the president’s strict immigration policies. The Trump administration has frequently clashed with state and federal judges who have attempted to restrain aggressive deportation efforts.
In a social media post regarding the Dugan case, Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized, "No one is above the law." A supporting affidavit from a Milwaukee FBI agent detailed that multiple witnesses described Dugan as “visibly angry” upon learning that federal agents were outside her courtroom waiting to arrest Eduardo Flores Ruiz, a 30-year-old Mexican national facing misdemeanor state battery charges. Dugan allegedly confronted the agents in the hallway and instructed them to consult with the court’s chief judge.
While the agents were away, Dugan reportedly postponed Flores Ruiz’s hearing and guided him and his lawyer out of the courthouse through a private exit. The agents eventually spotted Flores Ruiz outside and detained him after a brief foot chase. "We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject … allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest," Patel noted in his post.
The use of local courthouses by ICE to locate and detain migrants has raised concerns among judges in various jurisdictions. Critics argue that this practice complicates the ability of undocumented immigrants to attend court proceedings where they may be victims, defendants, or witnesses. However, immigration authorities maintain that courthouses provide a unique environment where they can be assured that their targets will appear at a specific time and have already undergone security screening.
In Milwaukee, the ICE office has adopted a policy to only detain undocumented immigrants appearing in court for alleged crimes, avoiding those who may be present as witnesses or victims, as indicated in the affidavit related to Dugan’s case.
This incident is not isolated; during Trump’s first term, the Justice Department charged a judge and a court officer in Massachusetts for assisting an undocumented immigrant in escaping a courthouse. In that case, Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph directed the immigrant to exit through a basement door as ICE agents waited in the lobby. Those federal charges were eventually dropped in 2022 as part of a deal requiring the judge to refer herself to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Following Trump’s return to the White House in January, a senior Justice Department official instructed federal prosecutors to investigate state and local officials obstructing immigration enforcement. "Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands," wrote Emil Bove, then acting deputy attorney general.
Judge Dugan, elected to the Milwaukee County bench in 2016, previously worked as a poverty attorney and served as the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. As this story develops, further updates will be provided regarding the implications of her arrest and the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States.
