On the morning of April 25, 2025, FBI agents walked into the Milwaukee County Courthouse and did something almost unheard of—they arrested a sitting judge. Hannah Dugan, a 54-year-old circuit court judge known for her progressive rulings and deep ties to Milwaukee’s immigrant communities, was handcuffed and charged with two federal crimes: obstruction of a federal proceeding and concealing a person from arrest.
The charges stemmed from an incident just three days earlier, on April 22, when Dugan allegedly helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant facing misdemeanor domestic violence charges, slip out of her courtroom through a private jury door to avoid ICE agents waiting outside. The arrest sent shockwaves through Wisconsin’s legal system and immediately became a flashpoint in the ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement and judicial independence.
FBI Arrests Milwaukee Judge: The Hannah Dugan Case That Shook Wisconsin
The case against Dugan hinges on surveillance footage and witness testimony. According to the FBI’s criminal complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Flores-Ruiz was in Dugan’s Branch 31 courtroom for a routine hearing when ICE officers, tipped off by a federal database, arrived to detain him. Instead of allowing the arrest to proceed, Dugan allegedly instructed her bailiff to escort Flores-Ruiz out through a restricted exit, bypassing the ICE agents stationed near the public hallway.
Flores-Ruiz, who had been deported once before in 2013, was later apprehended after a brief foot chase near the courthouse. The complaint claims Dugan’s actions violated federal law by deliberately interfering with a lawful immigration arrest. But her supporters argue she was protecting the integrity of the court system, where ICE’s increasing presence has deterred immigrants from reporting crimes or testifying as witnesses.
The political fallout was immediate. FBI Director Kash Patel, a polarizing figure appointed by President Donald Trump, announced the arrest on his now-deleted Truth Social account, writing, “No one is above the law, not even judges who think they can shield criminals.” Patel’s post drew sharp criticism from legal ethics experts, who noted that federal rules prohibit publicly commenting on pending cases in ways that could prejudice proceedings.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, called the arrest “an outrageous overreach” and accused the Trump administration of weaponizing the justice system. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, also a Democrat, warned that ICE’s courthouse arrests undermine public safety by making immigrants afraid to engage with law enforcement. Meanwhile, Dugan’s colleagues in the Milwaukee Bar Association circulated a petition demanding her release, arguing that judges must retain discretion to control their courtrooms without fear of federal retaliation.
Dugan’s background adds another layer to the story. Before becoming a judge in 2016, she spent over a decade as a poverty attorney with Legal Action of Wisconsin and later directed immigration services at Catholic Charities. Her re-election campaign in 2022 emphasized her work protecting vulnerable communities, and she once told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that her faith compels her to “stand with the marginalized.”
Opponents, including some conservative talk radio hosts in Wisconsin, have long accused her of activism from the bench. But even critics were stunned by the spectacle of a judge in handcuffs. Legal scholars note that while judges have been disciplined or impeached for misconduct, criminal indictments are vanishingly rare. The last comparable case was in 2018, when a Massachusetts state judge was charged with helping an undocumented defendant evade ICE—a case that was later dropped amid public outcry.
Flores-Ruiz, the man at the center of the case, has his own complicated history. ICE records show he was deported to Mexico in 2013 after a drunk driving conviction but returned illegally. His current charges involve a bar fight in Milwaukee’s South Side, where he allegedly punched a man and shoved a woman. Trump administration officials have framed him as a “repeat violator” who exemplifies the need for aggressive enforcement. Immigrant rights groups counter that courthouse arrests like this one create a chilling effect, discouraging victims of domestic violence—a significant issue in Milwaukee’s Latino community—from seeking help.
As of April 26, Dugan remains free on a $50,000 bond but has been temporarily suspended from the bench. The Wisconsin Judicial Commission will decide whether to pursue disciplinary action, while federal prosecutors, led by U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling, prepare for a trial that could set a precedent for how far judges can go to resist federal immigration enforcement.
HAPPENING NOW: Protesters have gathered outside a federal courthouse in Milwaukee following the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan pic.twitter.com/pHyS7poLD0
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) April 25, 2025
Meanwhile, protests have erupted outside the courthouse where Dugan once presided, with demonstrators waving signs that read “Judges Not Jailers” and “Stop the ICE Raids.” National media outlets have descended on Milwaukee, turning Dugan’s case into a symbol of the broader clash between local justice systems and federal immigration policy. Legal analysts predict the battle could eventually reach the Supreme Court, where Trump’s appointees now hold a 6-3 majority.
Behind the legal drama, there’s a personal story too. Dugan, a mother of two and a lifelong Milwaukee resident, now faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Friends describe her as a quiet but fiercely principled person who never sought the spotlight. “She didn’t wake up that morning thinking she’d become a national figure,” said one colleague, speaking anonymously to avoid jeopardizing the case.
“She just did what she thought was right in the moment.” Whether that moment becomes a footnote or a landmark in legal history depends on what happens next—in the courtroom, in the streets, and in the fraught intersection of law and politics where Hannah Dugan now finds herself trapped.
