Judge Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee County Circuit Court was detained by the FBI on Friday and accused in federal court of helping an illegal immigrant evade arrest in a courtroom and hindering immigration enforcement attempts. The federal charges for concealing someone from arrest and obstruction of justice mark a dramatic increase in the Trump administration’s targeting of local officials, particularly judges, who are seen to be impeding federal immigration operations.

The Department of Justice charges Judge Dugan with forcing Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a non-public entrance in her courtroom on April 18 as federal agents were waiting outside to take him into custody. Flores-Ruiz had already been deported and unlawfully returned to the United States in 2013. When immigration officials learned of his return, he was facing charges of domestic violence.

“We believe Judge Dugan purposefully 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,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on X (previously Twitter). The public was put in greater risk as a result of the judge’s obstruction, but fortunately our agents were able to track down the criminal on foot and he has now been taken into jail.

Judge Dugan, who was elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2022, had her first court appearance and was freed on her recognizance after a contentious arrest that sparked partisan division. On May 15, her second hearing is scheduled. She can be sentenced to up to six years in jail and fined $350,000 USD if proven guilty. The court “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest,” according to her attorney, who also argued that it was not necessary for public safety.

According to the FBI complaint, the scenario in the courtroom depicts a standoff between Dugan and the federal officials, during which she reportedly told them they lacked the proper warrant and instructed them to report to the chief judge at the courthouse. The judge reportedly led Flores-Ruiz out of a secondary “jury door” while the agents were gone. After a brief foot pursuit, he was apprehended after briefly escaping the building.

Responses Draw Attention to Political Tensions

“If you’re obstructing justice and helping a criminal defendant escape, that will not be tolerated,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi, a prominent member of the Trump administration’s legal machinery, in favor of the action, as she told Fox News.

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) cautioned that attacking a sitting judge compromises democratic institutions, calling this a “severely serious and drastic move.” The arrest was described by Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson as “showboating,” which may deter witnesses and victims from appearing in court.

The case is similar to one that occurred in 2019 when Judge Shelley Joseph of Massachusetts was accused of obstruction after allegedly helping an unauthorized immigrant evade ICE custody in her courtroom. Although the accusations were later dropped, the case sparked ongoing debate. In addition to placing Judge Dugan at the center of a nationally heated debate concerning judicial discretion versus federal immigration enforcement, her arrest may set a new precedent for the severity with which federal officials are willing to enforce immigration law.