A Wisconsin circuit judge has been charged by U.S. federal authorities for allegedly hindering the arrest of an undocumented immigrant in a case that underscores the deepening rift between local officials and federal immigration enforcement under former President Donald Trump's renewed crackdown.
Judge Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee County was arrested on Friday and briefly appeared before a federal court to face charges of obstructing a government proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent arrest. She was released and is scheduled to enter a formal plea on May 15.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Judge Dugan interfered with immigration agents who arrived outside her courtroom on April 18 seeking to detain Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a man previously deported to Mexico and facing new domestic abuse-related battery charges in her court.
According to the complaint, Dugan challenged the agents’ authority when she learned they carried only an administrative warrant issued by the Department of Homeland Security, and not a judicial one. She allegedly allowed Flores-Ruiz to exit through a jury door, bypassing the agents. He was later arrested outside the courthouse following a brief foot chase.
A statement issued on behalf of Dugan said she "will defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated." The judge did not speak to reporters as she left the courthouse through a side door. Outside, a small crowd gathered chanting, “Free the judge now.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the charges, stating: "No one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations.”
The case marks a significant moment in the Trump administration’s ongoing clash with local jurisdictions seen as resistant to its immigration agenda. The administration, having returned to power after the 2024 elections, has once again directed prosecutors to pursue local officials deemed obstructive.
This is not the first time local judges have come under federal scrutiny. In 2019, during Trump’s previous tenure, a Massachusetts judge was indicted on similar grounds, though charges were later dropped in 2022.
Dugan, elected in 2016, previously served as head of Catholic Charities’ Milwaukee chapter and worked extensively with the Legal Aid Society. She has been known for her involvement in social justice initiatives, including refugee resettlement.
The complaint states that on April 18, Dugan was "visibly angry" when plainclothes agents informed her of their intention to arrest Flores-Ruiz after court proceedings. When they confirmed they lacked a judicial warrant, she advised them to speak to the chief judge and returned to her courtroom. She later directed the defendant and his attorney to use a door leading to a non-public area, allegedly enabling him to temporarily evade arrest.
Flores-Ruiz, who had reportedly re-entered the U.S. unlawfully after deportation, was arrested by agents shortly after leaving the courthouse.
The Department of Homeland Security condemned the judge's actions. “This judge’s attempt to shield an accused violent criminal illegal alien from justice is shocking and shameful,” said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
However, the charges drew swift criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Senator Dick Durbin, senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the Trump administration was “testing the limits of our Constitution,” adding that such arrests could deter victims and witnesses from engaging with the justice system.
Legal experts are also divided. Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and current professor at the University of Michigan Law School, noted that while judges are not immune from prosecution, the case could have implications for the balance of federal and state judicial authority.
"This seems like a very aggressive exercise of prosecutorial discretion,” McQuade observed.
In a related development, federal authorities this week also charged a former New Mexico judge, Joel Cano, and his wife Nancy with evidence tampering. Prosecutors allege the couple attempted to destroy a cellphone belonging to a man residing on their property, who is allegedly linked to a Venezuelan street gang and facing illegal gun possession charges.
Cano was disqualified by the state Supreme Court from serving as a judge earlier this week. The couple’s legal representatives did not respond to media inquiries.
With two judges now facing federal charges related to immigration and criminal enforcement cases, the developments signal a renewed and intensified approach by the Trump administration toward local resistance.
