Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan Arrested for Allegedly Aiding Undocumented Immigrant Evade ICE Arrest

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on April 25 on two federal felony charges after allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Judge Dugan, 65, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries in a packed federal courtroom, dressed in a black dress with white floral print. She did not speak during the brief hearing. Her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, addressed the court afterward, stating, “Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety.”

Although the federal criminal complaint remains sealed, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Brady McCarron confirmed that Dugan is charged with obstruction and concealing an individual. She was taken into custody at approximately 8 a.m. at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi acknowledged the arrest in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “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.”

A now-deleted tweet from FBI Director Kash Patel echoed that statement, claiming that Judge Dugan intentionally diverted agents from Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a 30-year-old undocumented immigrant facing three misdemeanor battery charges. Flores-Ruiz was in Dugan’s courtroom on April 18 for a pre-trial conference and is now in ICE custody at Dodge Detention Facility in Juneau.

While officials haven’t publicly confirmed Flores-Ruiz as the person Dugan assisted, court records align with the timeline and circumstances. The misdemeanor charges against Flores-Ruiz involve a domestic dispute from March 12, where he allegedly struck two individuals during a confrontation over loud music. Each of the three Class A misdemeanors carries a maximum of nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Judge Dugan has served on Milwaukee County’s Branch 31 Circuit Court since 2016, after defeating a gubernatorial appointee. Her current term runs through 2028.

The arrest sparked strong reactions within the legal community. Franklyn Gimbel, a respected Milwaukee defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, criticized the approach taken by federal authorities.

“A judge with a fixed residence, not fleeing, should not be arrested like a common criminal,” Gimbel said. “They could have simply asked her to come in voluntarily. The decision to make a public arrest is not only shocking but highly unprofessional.”

Federal agents have made multiple courthouse arrests in recent months, increasing tensions around ICE presence in state judicial settings. Flores-Ruiz’s arrest marked the third such incident since March.

As of now, Dugan has not been formally indicted, and no trial date has been set.