- By Supratik Das
- Sat, 26 Apr 2025 11:39 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Hannah Dugan, a prominent Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, is in serious legal jeopardy after being taken into custody on federal charges of obstruction of justice and harboring an individual from arrest. The longtime judge is charged with assisting a Mexican national in avoiding federal immigration officials during a court hearing.
Who is Hannah Dugan?
Hannah Dugan, 65, has been a respected fixture in Milwaukee's legal and civic communities for decades. She won a Milwaukee County judgeship in 2016, unseating a Republican appointee, and was re-elected unopposed in 2022. She is scheduled to serve until 2028. Before she was appointed a judge, Dugan practiced as a litigation attorney at Legal Action of Wisconsin and the Legal Aid Society, dealing in elder law, disability rights, domestic abuse, and civil rights. She also worked as a leader, such as president of the Milwaukee Bar Association and executive director of Catholic Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin. Dugan, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, is known for her active engagement in interfaith activities and close community connections. She has been an instructor at Marquette University and was a 2021 Best of Milwaukee finalist for Most Trusted Public Official.
What is Hannah Dugan Alleged to Have Done?
A federal complaint claims Judge Hannah Dugan obstructed federal agents who were trying to arrest Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz in a court hearing on April 18. Flores-Ruiz, previously deported in 2013, was being tried on misdemeanor battery charges when ICE and federal agents showed up at the courthouse to apprehend him.
Reports indicate Dugan grew visibly upset when she discovered the presence of the agents and went out of her way to help Flores-Ruiz. Witnesses say she escorted him and his lawyer through a restricted courthouse door normally only used by juries and in-custody suspects to escape capture. Flores-Ruiz managed to escape briefly but was caught moments later in a foot pursuit. He is currently in the custody of ICE at the Dodge Detention Facility.
What Next?
Hannah Dugan's second hearing is on May 15, 2025, when she will officially respond to the charges. If she is convicted on both charges, she could face up to six years in prison and 350,000 USD in fines. Her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, said Dugan "wholeheartedly regrets and protests" her arrest, claiming it was politically motivated and unnecessary. Outside the courthouse, several dozen supporters picketed her arrest, cautioning that the action would discourage community members from taking part in judicial proceedings. Groups such as the ACLU of Wisconsin condemned the arrest as a ploy to intimidate the judiciary.
People protest outside the Milwaukee Federal Building. | Credits: Reuters
Attorney General Pam Bondi, a key figure in the Trump administration’s legal apparatus, supported the move, telling Fox News: “If you’re obstructing justice and helping a criminal defendant escape, that will not be tolerated.”
The future of Hannah Dugan's career as a judge hangs in the balance as the legal process unfolds. The case recalls a comparable 2019 situation involving Massachusetts Judge Shelley Joseph, who was charged with obstruction for allegedly facilitating an undocumented immigrant's escape from ICE arrest in her courtroom. Those charges were subsequently dismissed, but the case raised long-standing controversy. Judge Dugan's arrest puts her squarely at the eye of an increasingly heated national argument about federal immigration enforcement vs. judicial discretion and has potentially established a new precedent about just how aggressively federal officials are prepared to crack down on enforcing immigration law.