The FBI has arrested a Wisconsin county circuit judge for “obstructing an immigration arrest.”
“Just now, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on charges of obstruction—after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X on Friday morning.
“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 wrote.
Agents chased Flores-Ruiz down on foot and arrested him on April 18, “but the judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public,” the FBI chief said.
Patel deleted the X post shortly after writing it, and then later reposted the same statement.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrest Friday, writing on X, “I can confirm that our [FBI] agents just arrested Hannah Dugan—a county judge in Milwaukee—for allegedly helping an illegal alien avoid an arrest by [ICE]. No one is above the law.”
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Flores-Ruiz, a 30-year-old native of Mexico, was arrested on charges of misdemeanor battery after appearing before Dugan, 65, on April 18.
The paper further reported that Chief Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley emailed fellow judges that same day to describe the incident.
“They [ICE agents] were asked whether they had a warrant, and the agents presented the warrant as well as their identification,” Ashley’s email reads. “They were asked to go to Chief Judge’s office. They complied. … They presented a warrant, which we copied.”
The same article cites “sources” who claim that “Dugan didn’t hide the defendant and his attorney in a jury deliberation room … when ICE officials left to talk with the chief judge on the same floor, Dugan took the pair to a side door in the courtroom, directed them down a private hallway and into the public area on the 6th floor.”
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley took to X shortly after the announcement of Dugan’s arrest, writing, “It is clear that the FBI is politicizing this situation to make an example of her and others across the country who oppose their attack on the judicial system and our nation’s immigration laws.”
The Trump administration has had several legal battles with liberal-leaning judges who have issued injunctions against federal deportation efforts.
Dugan’s arrest follows that of former New Mexico Judge Doña Ana County Magistrate Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, on Thursday on charges of tampering with evidence following the arrest of an alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang member who had lived on the judge’s property.
“Nobody should be surprised by the arrest of two judges,” border czar Tom Homan wrote on X on Friday afternoon.
“I have said many times within the past few months, that people can choose to support illegal immigration and not assist ICE in removing criminal illegal aliens from our communities, BUT DON’T CROSS THAT LINE,” Homan added. “If you actively impede our enforcement efforts or if you knowingly harbor or conceal illegal aliens from ICE you will be prosecuted. These actions are felonies.”
This article was originally published at www.dailysignal.com
