A Wisconsin judge has been indicted after officials say she helped a Mexican man evade immigration officials by ushering him out the back door of a courthouse.
Hannah Dugan, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, was arrested last month and charged with obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States and concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest.
On Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted Dugan, accusing her of confronting members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and falsely telling them they needed a judicial warrant to conduct their operation. She’s also accused of facilitating the escape of the undocumented immigrant and his lawyer by helping them sneak around federal agents.
This 2016 photo shows Judge Hannah Dugan in Milwaukee.
Lee Matz / The Canadian Press
According to an affidavit filed by the U.S. district court on April 18, Dugan escorted a man named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer away from the courtroom through the jury room door to stave off his arrest.
Court documents claim that Flores-Ruiz was residing in the U.S. illegally and that a warrant for his arrest was issued on April 17.
The affidavit quoted the courtroom deputy as overhearing Dugan utter something to the effect of “Wait, come with me,” before directing them into a private area of the courthouse.
The action was unusual, the affidavit continued, saying that “only deputies, juries, court staff, and in-custody defendants being escorted by deputies used the back jury door. Defense attorneys and defendants who were not in custody never used the jury door.”
Flores-Ruiz was facing three misdemeanour battery counts and had appeared in the Milwaukee court for a scheduled hearing, where six officers from ICE, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) were waiting to arrest him.
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The affidavit said that Dugan became “visibly angry, commented that the situation was ‘absurd,’ left the bench, and entered chambers” when she learned of their presence.
She redirected the officers to report to the chief judge, the affidavit said, before sneaking the Mexican man and his lawyer out of the courthouse.
In the process, two agents witnessed Dugan help them escape.
FILE – Supporters of Judge Hannah Dugan hold a rally in Milwaukee at the U.S. Courthouse in Milwaukee on Friday, April 25, 2025.
Lee Matz / Milwaukee Independent via AP
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest on social media, but deleted the post shortly after.
It didn’t take long for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to suspend Dugan from the bench, saying the move was necessary to preserve public trust in the courts.
Dugan’s arrest and indictment comes amid rising tensions between the Donald Trump administration and some of the country’s most senior judges over the president’s immigration enforcement policy, sparking protests in Milwaukee.
FILE – Supporters of Judge Hannah Dugan hold a rally in Milwaukee at the U.S. Courthouse in Milwaukee, April 25, 2025.
Lee Matz / Milwaukee Independent via AP
Dugan is scheduled to enter her plea deal to the charges on Thursday. If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison and fines of up to US$350,000.