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A spokesperson for the US Marshals confirmed that Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan had been taken into custody in Wisconsin.
According to court documents, the charges arise from events that took place on Friday, April 18.
On that day, members of the Milwaukee office of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), along with federal partners from the FBI, DEA, and US Customs and Border Protection, attempted to execute a lawful arrest warrant.
The warrant was for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national. He had previously been removed from the United States and was recently charged in Milwaukee County with multiple counts related to domestic abuse.
Federal agents arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse intending to arrest Flores-Ruiz in a public hallway following his court appearance before Judge Dugan.
Upon learning of the agents’ presence in the hallway, the 65-year-old Dugan allegedly confronted and ordered federal agents to leave the courthouse.
After being made aware of a valid immigration arrest warrant, Dugan told agents that they needed a judicial warrant and demanded that they go to the chief judge’s office.
Once the agents were no longer in the vicinity of her courtroom, Dugan allegedly chose not to conduct a hearing on Flores-Ruiz’s criminal case.
This decision was made despite the fact that victims of his offense were present, the DOJ said, adding that instead, she personally escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a restricted “jury door” exit. This exit is not typically used by defendants or attorneys.
This doorway led to a non-public hallway through which Flores-Ruiz and his attorney exited her courtroom.
According to the affidavit, Dugan’s actions directly resulted in Flores-Ruiz temporarily avoiding federal custody. He was ultimately arrested outside the courthouse, following a brief foot pursuit.
Dugan is charged with obstruction of proceedings before a department or agency of the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and concealing a person to prevent arrest, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.
Flores-Ruiz was previously deported in 2013 and had reentered the United States unlawfully. He was subject to arrest based on an administrative warrant issued by ICE for immigration violations following his recent criminal charges in Milwaukee County.
In a statement posted on social media, FBI Director Kash Patel said, "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.
"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."
Dugan has been serving on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court is the largest circuit court in the State of Wisconsin, since 2016.
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