Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested after being accused of helping undocumented illegal immigrants cross the border
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Judge Hannah Dugan, who has served on the Milwaukee County Court, Wisconsin, for nearly a decade, was arrested on Friday by the FBI on obstruction charges, after being accused of helping an undocumented Mexican immigrant evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in her courtroom.
FBI Director Kash Patel initially announced the arrest in a post on the social network X, stating that Dugan had deliberately interfered in the detention of Eduardo Flores Ruiz, 30, who was scheduled for a court hearing on April 18 for three misdemeanor assault charges.
In his statements, Patel accused Dugan of intentionally diverting federal agents, thus allowing Flores Ruiz to escape custody. However, the post was deleted shortly after, without an official explanation being offered.
El director del FBI anunció el arresto a través de la red social X
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, ICE agents arrived at the court with a federal arrest warrant and headed directly to Dugan's courtroom. However, court officials requested that they wait until the hearing concluded before proceeding with the arrest.
It was during this time that the judge allegedly directed Flores Ruiz and his attorney through a side exit and a private hallway, in order to avoid contact with immigration agents.
Flores Ruiz was later arrested after a foot chase by the agents and is currently in ICE custody at the Dodge detention facility in Juneau, Wisconsin, about 50 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
The charge against Dugan has not yet been publicly formalized, as neither the arrest warrant nor the corresponding criminal complaint have been disclosed.
El servicio de inmigración detuvo a Dugan en su despacho en Milwaukee
The judge, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1986, has not offered comments to the media, while the Department of Justice and the FBI have also not replied to information requests made by media outlets.
The office of the county's chief judge, Carl Ashley, confirmed that ICE agents properly identified themselves and presented their warrant, and that they were asked to wait outside the courtroom until the hearing concluded, as is customary in judicial proceedings. However, Dugan's intervention has sparked a significant legal conflict.
This case represents an escalation in the strict immigration policy of Donald Trump's government regarding immigration, particularly in its stance toward judicial authorities who, in its opinion, hinder the enforcement of federal immigration law.
El gobierno de Trump adoptó un gran enfoque contra la inmigración ilegal
The arrest of a sitting judge for obstruction of ICE's work is an unusual event that could have far-reaching implications for judicial independence and the collaboration between state courts and federal agencies.
For now, the Department of Justice is expected to move forward with the formal presentation of charges. The case has reignited the national debate on the cooperation between local courts and federal authorities in the enforcement of immigration laws, and on the limits of judicial power in the face of federal orders.
