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Saturday, Apr 26, 2025
Outside the box.
Milwaukee Judge Arrested on Allegations of Aiding Undocumented Immigrant’s Escape
Federal agents detain Judge Hannah Dugan after claims she diverted a Mexican national away from immigration officers during a court hearing
Federal authorities arrested Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan in Milwaukee on Friday on suspicion of obstructing immigration enforcement.
According to a statement released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the judge is accused of deliberately misleading agents inside her courtroom on eighteen April and directing defendant Flores Ruiz, a thirty-year-old Mexican national, through a private side exit to prevent his immediate detention.
Investigators say immigration officers arrived at the courthouse with an arrest warrant but waited outside the hearing room until the pre-trial session concluded.
Court documents allege that, before federal personnel entered, Judge Dugan instructed Ruiz and his attorney to leave through a restricted passage used by court staff.
Ruiz was later apprehended at a separate location by local police.
The defendant had appeared before Judge Dugan for a preliminary hearing on three counts of assault arising from an incident reported to Milwaukee police, in which Ruiz allegedly struck another man approximately thirty times and assaulted a woman who attempted to intervene.
Officers at the scene initially understood Ruiz to be an overnight guest; follow-up questioning indicated he had been living at the residence for about one year.
Judge Dugan, who has served on the Milwaukee County bench since two thousand sixteen, was brought before a federal magistrate for an initial appearance and released pending further proceedings.
Her legal counsel stated that she contests the allegations and described the arrest as contrary to public-safety interests.
The United States Department of Justice has recently indicated its intent to pursue aggressive measures against public officials suspected of impeding federal immigration actions.
In social-media remarks following the arrest, the FBI director said that any effort to block lawful apprehension of individuals under removal orders poses a public-safety risk.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Milwaukee courthouse on Friday evening, holding placards supporting Judge Dugan and criticising the federal action.
A sign posted near her courtroom door was also photographed by local media outlets during the protest.
According to a statement released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the judge is accused of deliberately misleading agents inside her courtroom on eighteen April and directing defendant Flores Ruiz, a thirty-year-old Mexican national, through a private side exit to prevent his immediate detention.
Investigators say immigration officers arrived at the courthouse with an arrest warrant but waited outside the hearing room until the pre-trial session concluded.
Court documents allege that, before federal personnel entered, Judge Dugan instructed Ruiz and his attorney to leave through a restricted passage used by court staff.
Ruiz was later apprehended at a separate location by local police.
The defendant had appeared before Judge Dugan for a preliminary hearing on three counts of assault arising from an incident reported to Milwaukee police, in which Ruiz allegedly struck another man approximately thirty times and assaulted a woman who attempted to intervene.
Officers at the scene initially understood Ruiz to be an overnight guest; follow-up questioning indicated he had been living at the residence for about one year.
Judge Dugan, who has served on the Milwaukee County bench since two thousand sixteen, was brought before a federal magistrate for an initial appearance and released pending further proceedings.
Her legal counsel stated that she contests the allegations and described the arrest as contrary to public-safety interests.
The United States Department of Justice has recently indicated its intent to pursue aggressive measures against public officials suspected of impeding federal immigration actions.
In social-media remarks following the arrest, the FBI director said that any effort to block lawful apprehension of individuals under removal orders poses a public-safety risk.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Milwaukee courthouse on Friday evening, holding placards supporting Judge Dugan and criticising the federal action.
A sign posted near her courtroom door was also photographed by local media outlets during the protest.
