MILWAUKEE — The FBI on Friday arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan on allegations that she helped a man avoid federal immigration authorities, marking a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration’s ongoing conflict with local officials over its hardline immigration policies.
Federal authorities claim Dugan assisted a defendant in evading arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents last week, guiding the man and his attorney out of her courtroom through a restricted jury door after learning ICE was present inside the courthouse. The man, identified as Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, was later apprehended outside the building after a foot chase.
The charges, which include obstructing justice and concealing a person to prevent arrest, have deepened already fraught tensions between the White House and local jurisdictions perceived to be hindering federal immigration enforcement. The arrest comes amid broader legal battles between President Donald Trump’s administration and the federal judiciary over deportation policies and executive authority.
According to an affidavit filed by the FBI, Dugan was informed about ICE agents in the courthouse by her clerk, who had been alerted by an attorney. The document describes Dugan as reacting angrily, leaving the bench and retreating to her chambers before confronting agents inside the courthouse alongside another judge. Witnesses described her demeanor as visibly confrontational and upset.
The affidavit further alleges that after directing officers to the chief judge’s office to discuss the situation, Dugan returned to her courtroom and was overheard saying “wait, come with me,” before leading Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through the restricted jury door—normally off-limits to defense lawyers and defendants not in custody. The back door is typically used only by juries, in-custody individuals escorted by deputies, and court staff.
U.S. Marshals took Dugan into custody Friday morning on courthouse grounds. She appeared briefly in federal court later that day before being released. During the hearing, her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said Dugan “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest,” arguing it was not made in the interest of public safety. Mastantuono declined to speak further after the hearing.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Flores-Ruiz was facing domestic violence charges at the time of the incident, with victims and prosecutors present in court. Bondi criticized Dugan’s actions on Fox News, calling them a threat to public safety and law enforcement.
“She put the lives of our law enforcement officers at risk. She put the lives of citizens at risk. A street chase — it’s absurd that that had to happen,” Bondi said.
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers responded to the arrest by defending the independence of the judiciary and denouncing what he called dangerous political interference by the Trump administration.
“I have deep respect for the rule of law, our nation’s judiciary, the importance of judges making decisions impartially without fear or favor, and the efforts of law enforcement to hold people accountable if they commit a crime,” Evers said. “I will continue to put my faith in our justice system as this situation plays out in the court of law.”
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat representing Wisconsin, called the arrest a “gravely serious and drastic move” that risks violating the constitutional separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches.
“By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting those basic democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line,” Baldwin said in a statement.
The case mirrors a similar prosecution brought during Trump’s first term against Massachusetts Judge Shelley Joseph, who was accused of aiding a defendant’s escape from immigration custody through a courthouse backdoor. That prosecution drew heavy criticism from the legal community, many of whom called it politically charged. The charges were dropped in 2022 under President Joe Biden’s administration, after Joseph agreed to submit to a state review board.
As the legal case against Dugan proceeds, it underscores the sharp friction between federal immigration authorities and a judicial system under pressure to remain impartial amid political upheaval. The arrest also reignites debate over the limits of judicial discretion and the scope of presidential authority in enforcing immigration laws.
