A Wisconsin judge was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday morning after allegedly hiding an illegal immigrant in her jury room last week to help the illegal immigrant “evade arrest” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was endorsed by Milwaukee’s Democratic mayor, was arrested on Friday and charged with the obstruction of an official proceeding for helping an illegal immigrant hide from ICE officials. The Wisconsin judge was also charged with concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest.
Fox News reported that the charges came after FBI, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and Drug Enforcement Administration officials tried arresting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national, on April 18 after his criminal court appearance before the judge regarding three misdemeanor battery charges. The outlet noted that the Wisconsin judge told the federal officials to go to the chief judge’s office.
According to Fox News, Dugan then allegedly escorted both the illegal immigrant and his attorney through a restricted jury door in order to bypass the public area where the federal officials were waiting to arrest Flores-Ruiz.
READ MORE: Video: Fmr. judge arrested for harboring alleged illegal immigrant gang members
In a Friday post on X, formerly Twitter, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi tweeted, “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 @ICEgov. No one is above the law.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also released a statement on X, saying, “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.”
“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 added. “Thankfully, our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public.”
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dugan did not make any public comments on Friday during her federal court hearing. However, Craig Mastantuono, Dugan’s attorney, said, “Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety.”
