A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge was arrested Friday by the FBI, accused of helping a man avoid detention by federal immigration authorities inside her courthouse, escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary.
Judge Hannah Dugan was taken into custody on the courthouse grounds and charged with concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest, as well as obstructing a federal proceeding. She was released after a brief court appearance and is scheduled to return to court on May 15.
The FBI alleges that Dugan helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the man sought by immigration authorities, escape through a jury door typically reserved for court staff and in-custody defendants. According to an FBI affidavit, Dugan became visibly angry after learning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were waiting to arrest Flores-Ruiz in the courthouse hallway. She reportedly questioned the agents about their warrant, deemed it insufficient, and directed them toward the chief judge’s office before returning to assist Flores-Ruiz and his attorney in leaving through a restricted area.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest on social media, criticizing Dugan’s actions as creating “increased danger to the public.” U.S. Marshals confirmed Dugan’s arrest took place peacefully on courthouse grounds.
Dugan’s attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said during Friday’s hearing that the judge “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest,” emphasizing that her actions were not a threat to public safety. He declined further comment afterward.
The case comes amid heightened clashes between the Trump administration and the judiciary over immigration enforcement. Administration officials have frequently accused judges of obstructing executive power and undermining immigration laws. Critics, including U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, decried Dugan’s arrest as a dangerous overreach. “By arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting the very foundation of our Democracy on the line,” Baldwin said in a statement.
The arrest draws parallels to a 2019 case in Massachusetts, where a state judge was accused of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid ICE agents. That prosecution, seen by many as politically motivated, was ultimately dropped under the Biden administration.
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the action on Friday, stating, “No one is above the law.”
Judge Dugan, elected to the Milwaukee County bench in 2016, previously worked at Legal Action of Wisconsin and the Legal Aid Society. She earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987.
