A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, Hannah Dugan, was arrested Friday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for allegedly obstructing an immigration arrest operation, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Patel initially announced the arrest in a post on X, which he later deleted, and then reposted the announcement after Judge Dugan’s initial court appearance.
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“We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest,” Patel stated in his post. He also confirmed that Flores-Ruiz is now in FBI custody.
The charges against Judge Dugan stem from an incident that reportedly occurred at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on April 18th. The FBI was investigating whether Judge Dugan attempted to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after the individual was scheduled to appear in her courtroom.
Chief Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley sent an email to other judges confirming that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrived at the courthouse on April 18th with an arrest warrant. However, Ashley’s email did not mention Judge Dugan or the ongoing FBI investigation.
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Judge Dugan appeared briefly in federal court on Friday and was subsequently released from custody, the Associated Press reported.
Her lawyer, Craig Mastantuono, addressed the court, stating, “Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety,” according to the AP.
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