Wisconsin Judge Arrested in Immigration Enforcement Clash
United States: A Wisconsin judge received arrest from U.S. officials on Friday when they charged her with aiding a man in escaping immigration control in a conflict between Trump administration immigration policies and local municipal authorities over enforcement procedures.
Federal Charges Spark Legal and Political Storm
The criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Justice Department charged Hannah Dugan with obstructing the proceeding when she refused to produce the man during his court appearance on April 18 while intentionally aiding his escape through a jury door, as reported by Reuters.
The criminal charges against Dugan involve obstructing court proceedings through individual concealment to evade arrest.
Federal authorities at the U.S. Marshals Service announced that Judge Hannah Dugan received her Friday morning arrest at the courthouse where she works as an employee. She faced a federal court appearance in Milwaukee during the afternoon of Friday. The courthouse entrance filled with people shouting “free the judge now.”
The FBI representative failed to provide a response when contacted immediately.
More arrests: Cabal Judges:
— WayneTech SPFX®️ (@WayneTechSPFX) April 25, 2025
🚨Wisconsin judge arrested
by FBI, charged with obstructing illegal immigrant arrest
The arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan is the first publicly known instance of the Trump administration charging a local official for allegedly… pic.twitter.com/sOlCjYMaN9
The Justice Department recently gave federal prosecutors authority to file criminal charges against public servants who work to hinder the administration’s immigration enforcement operations. Public agencies across the United States displayed a widespread pattern of resisting the Trump administration during his first 2017-2021 presidential term.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media that FBI agents had arrested Dugan for preventing the arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz who remains in federal detention as an undocumented immigrant. After the federal court unsealed the case he removed the social media post he had previously released.
A Wisconsin public court record shows the appearance of an individual named in domestic violence battery misdemeanor charges faced by Dugan’s court on April 18.
The complaint reports Dugan displayed visible signs of anger after finding out that immigration authorities had come to arrest Flores-Ruiz.
The complaint states that Dugan made immigration officials talk with the chief judge before she guided Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a gated door that led to non-public areas of the courthouse.
Federal prosecutors have charged a Milwaukee judge with obstructing an immigration arrest operation. It's the first publicly known instance of the Trump administration charging a local official for allegedly interfering with immigration enforcement.https://t.co/kKZPSHWpyh
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 25, 2025
FBI, Chief Judge Offer No Public Comment
Chief Judge Carl Ashley of Milwaukee court chose to remain silent during the interview.
Court sources from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel stated that Judge Dugan escorted the attorney and Flores-Ruiz through private hallways before placing them in public open areas although reports claimed she hid them in the jury deliberation room.
When Trump became president in January 2017 he initiated an all-encompassing immigration program to arrest and expel undocumented immigrants through national emergency declarations and enhanced enforcement actions, as reported by Reuters.
A Career Rooted in Advocacy
When Dugan took office in 2016, she began her first term as a county judge after previously leading Catholic Charities Milwaukee which operated refugee resettlement programs alongside other assistance initiatives. The Milwaukee Legal Aid Society employing her spent most of her first years in the legal profession serving the city’s less fortunate population.
