Milwaukee Judge Arrested by FBI for Allegedly Helping Defendant Evade ICE Agents

A Milwaukee County judge has been arrested and charged with obstructing immigration enforcement, intensifying tensions between federal authorities and local courts over immigration policy.

On Friday morning, FBI agents arrested Judge Hannah Dugan outside the Milwaukee County Courthouse. The arrest stems from allegations that she helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a man facing domestic violence charges, evade federal immigration agents after a court hearing.

According to a federal affidavit, Judge Dugan learned that ICE agents were in the courthouse hallway to detain Flores-Ruiz, a previously deported man who had reentered the U.S. illegally. Visibly frustrated, she allegedly directed her clerk and then personally escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a restricted jury door—typically reserved for court staff and in-custody defendants.

Moments later, ICE agents caught Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse after a brief foot chase.

Judge Dugan now faces federal charges for:

• Concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest
• Obstructing or impeding an official proceeding

She was briefly held before being released from custody later Friday. Her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said Dugan “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest,” and argued it was not made in the interest of public safety.

The arrest has sparked immediate backlash and drawn national attention:

• Gov. Tony Evers criticized the Trump-era tactic, accusing the federal government of undermining the judiciary through intimidation.
• Sen. Tammy Baldwin called the arrest a “drastic move” that could erode the separation of powers.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi, defending the arrest, said, “If you break the law, we will follow the facts and prosecute you.”
• Protesters gathered outside the courthouse, where Emilio De Torre of Milwaukee Turners warned the action could scare off vulnerable individuals from appearing in court.

Flores-Ruiz, 30, was in court facing three counts of misdemeanor domestic battery. According to police reports, he struck two women who tried to intervene during a fight with a roommate over loud music.

If convicted, he faces up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine for each charge. Court records show that he had been deported in 2013 but later reentered the country unlawfully. A federal judge ordered him held in custody ahead of trial.

This case mirrors a similar high-profile incident in Massachusetts during Trump’s first term, where a judge was accused of helping an undocumented immigrant escape ICE via a courthouse backdoor. That case was eventually dropped under the Biden administration, but it had already fueled debate over the role of local courts in federal immigration matters.

In January, the Justice Department signaled it would revive efforts to prosecute local officials who obstruct immigration enforcement, citing laws related to conspiracy and harboring undocumented individuals.

Elected in 2016 to Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 31, Dugan previously served in the probate and civil divisions. She earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and spent part of her legal career with Legal Action of Wisconsin and the Legal Aid Society.

Her biography describes a commitment to community advocacy and due process—principles now at the heart of a contentious legal and political battle.