Judge Dugan hon
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H annah C. Dugan (born 1959)[1] is an American attorney and judge from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has been a Wisconsin circuit court judge for Milwaukee County since 2016. Prior to her judicial service, Dugan served as president of the Milwaukee Bar Association, as an executive director for Catholic Charities USA in south-east Wisconsin, and she worked with several legal aid organizations.
On April 25, 2025, Dugan was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and indicted for allegedly assisting an illegal immigrant in evading arrest. The arrest received significant national attention and elicited opinions from across the political spectrum and legal profession. Opponents of the arrest have characterized her arrest as an authoritarian act by the second Trump administration while supporters have characterized it as a proper enforcement of the law.
Career
Dugan holds a bachelor of arts degree in legal studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a master's degree in American studies from Boston College.[1] She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1987 and taught law courses at Marquette University and the Seattle University School of Law.[2] From 1999 to 2000, Dugan was president of the Milwaukee Bar Association.[3][4]
Dugan spent much of her career working with legal aid organizations to provide assistance to people who are unable to afford legal representation,[4] and served as the executive director of Catholic Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin from 2006 to 2009.[5] She was active in professional organizations and refereed attorney discipline cases brought by the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation.[6] Speaking to the Milwaukee Independent in 2016, Dugan stated that she found the judiciary situation in Milwaukee challenging, but believed in the independence of its judges.[6]
Dugan was elected a Wisconsin circuit court judge in 2016, defeating incumbent Paul Rifelj with 65% of the vote.[7] During her tenure, she primarily oversaw cases in the court's misdemeanor division.[4]
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz court hearing
On April 18, 2025, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued an arrest warrant for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a 30-year-old Mexican illegal immigrant accused of misdemeanor battery, who was set to appear in court on April 18, 2025, before Dugan on charges of battery and domestic abuse.[8]
Since 2019, a federal policy exists for ICE to refrain from making routine arrests at courthouses and according to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent in support of the criminal complaint against her, Dugan was described as angry when she learned that ICE agents were waiting outside her courtroom to arrest Flores-Ruiz. She then allegedly questioned the agents in the hallway and asked whether they had a judicial warrant. They informed her that they had an administrative warrant[a] to detain Flores-Ruiz.[10][12] Dugan told the agents that they needed a judicial warrant, not an administrative warrant, and she directed them to speak to Chief Judge Carl Ashley.[2] She then returned to her courtroom.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, when Chief Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley notified Dugan of this warrant via email, Dugan responded saying "a warrant was not presented in the hallway on the sixth floor".[13]
:{:{After Dugan returned to her courtroom, instead of holding the hearing, she directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to leave using the jury room exit to the public hallway.[14][15] This alternate exit led through a hallway before opening to the public area where she and the agents had spoken.[16]}:
Flores-Ruiz entered an elevator into which an agent also entered. They rode to the main exit from the building and left the building. When Flores-Ruiz began to leave the scene,[17] the ICE agents chased after him and arrested him near the intersection of West State Street and Tenth Street,[18] and Flores-Ruiz was taken to the Dodge Detention Facility in Juneau, Wisconsin.[19]}:
Arrest
Arrest of Dugan by FBI agents, April 2025
The FBI subsequently opened an investigation into whether Dugan helped an immigrant avoid arrest.[13][20] Dugan was arrested by FBI agents on April 25, 2025, and charged with two felony counts of obstruction and concealing an individual,[21] and she was jailed.
In contradiction to the conventions and traditions of the offices held, public comments were made regarding the arrest of Dugan. FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest in a social media post on X, stating that Dugan had "intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse".[22] He deleted the post shortly thereafter, but subsequently restored the post. United States Attorney General Pam Bondi also spoke publically in support of the arrest of Dugan, making disparaging comments about recent behavior of judges at the same time.[23]
Arraignment
FBI charging document
Dugan was brought before US Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries that morning for arraignment and she made no public comments, but her attorney told the court that Dugan "wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety."[19][24] Following her initial hearing, Dugan hired former U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic and former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement to represent her.[25][26]
Chief Judge Carl Ashley said in a statement that Dugan's caseload would be handled by another jurist in the courthouse and declined to comment further.[12] A reserve judge will be appointed to take over Dugan's caseload.[27] On April 29, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an order relieving Dugan of her duties during the length of her federal trial.[28]
Reactions
Republican lawmakers defended the arrest, with Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI–03) stating that "many activist judges around the county have been acting politically in order to sabotage President Trump's agenda, and disenfranchise the 77 million Americans that voted for him".[29] Former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker called on Republican leaders of the Wisconsin Legislature to convene an extraordinary session to impeach and remove Dugan from office, and Congressman Tony Wied (WI–08) called for Dugan's resignation.[30] United States Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in an interview that she would continue to arrest judges opposed to Trump's immigration policy, saying: "we will come after you and we will prosecute you. We will find you."[31][32]
Dugan's arrest was condemned by multiple Democratic lawmakers in the US House of Representatives.[29][33][34] U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, who represents Wisconsin, accused President Donald Trump of attacking democratic values, saying that the arrest threatens to breach the separation of powers set by the US Constitution.[33][32] Milwaukee's Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI–04) said she was, "very alarmed at the increasingly lawless actions of the Trump Administration, and in particular ICE, who have been defying courts and acting with disregard for the Constitution."[35] Mark Pocan (WI–02) said the arrest is "stuff I expect from Third World countries" and called for an investigation.[29]
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said that aggressive federal interference at the Milwaukee County Courthouse was having a detrimental effect on normal legal processes,[36] with a similar view expressed by Milwaukee state Assemblyman Ryan Clancy.[37]
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that five legal experts, including former federal prosecutors, did not believe Dugan should be charged with a federal crime.[38] Christopher Wellborn, the president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, criticized the arrest, saying that American democracy "rests upon the independence of the judiciary" and any "retaliatory action from the executive branch that appears to undermine this foundation demands our unwavering scrutiny and a resounding response."[12]
Retired Massachusetts Supreme Court justice Geraldine Hines commented "This kind of prosecution is... an effort to intimidate judges".[39] Monica Isham, a circuit court judge in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, sent an email to other state judges with the subject line "Guidance Requested or I Refuse to Hold Court". In the email, she noted that she had sworn an oath to uphold both the U.S. and Wisconsin constitutions, and said: "I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process, as BOTH of the constitutions we swore to support requires."[40]
Protests were held outside of the U.S. Courthouse in Milwaukee on April 25,[41] and the FBI field office in St. Francis on April 26.[42]
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SEATTLE (AP) — Inside a Virginia courthouse, three immigration agents in plainclothes — one masked — detained a man who had just had misdemeanor assault charges dismissed. They declined to show identification or a warrant to the man, and one threatened to prosecute horrified witnesses who tried to intervene, cellphone video shows.
In North Carolina, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed it arrested four people at a county courthouse, according to local media reports, prompting the sheriff to express concerns about a lack of communication from the agency as well as about disruption to court proceedings.
Inside a courthouse in New Hampshire, a pair of agents tackled a Venezuelan man outside an elevator, flattening an older man with a cane in the process. And in Boston, an ICE agent detained a man who was on trial. A municipal court judge held the agent in contempt over the arrest, but the order was later overturned by a federal judge.
The flurry of immigration enforcement at courthouses around the country in the past month — already heavily criticized by judicial officials and lawyers — has renewed a legal battle from President Donald Trump’s first term as advocates fear people might avoid coming to court.
It’s drawing further attention with last Friday’s arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan in Wisconsin. The FBI arrested Dugan on charges that she tried to help a defendant evade waiting federal agents by letting him leave her courtroom through a jury door.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Some of these judges think they are beyond and above the law and they are not, and we’re sending a very strong message today,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said during an appearance on Fox News after the arrest.
History of ICE’s arrest practices
Lena Graber, senior staff attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, told The Associated Press that she’s aware of at least a dozen recent immigration arrests at courthouses around the country.
“The historical context is really important,” Graber said. “This is something that was not part of ICE’s practice until the first Trump administration, and people were shocked.”
ICE long had a general practice of not arresting people at certain locations, including schools, hospitals, courthouses and churches. But during the first Trump administration, the agency adopted a policy explicitly allowing courthouse arrests of “specific, targeted aliens,” arguing that it was especially important in “sanctuary” jurisdictions where officials do not notify the agency before releasing immigrants facing deportation cases.
Courthouse immigration arrests jumped, drawing condemnation from judicial officials and legal organizations, as well as lawsuits from some states and the adoption of bills seeking to block the practice.
Dugan’s case is similar to one brought during the first Trump administration against a Massachusetts judge who was accused of helping a man sneak out a back door of a courthouse to evade a waiting immigration officer. A judge in Oregon faced similar allegations — though not an arrest or criminal charges — in 2017.
The chief justices of some states, including California and Washington, asked ICE to stop, saying fear of arrest would keep crime victims and witnesses from showing up in court. In one well-publicized case, agents in Texas arrested a woman while she was obtaining a protection order against an alleged abuser.
The Biden administration imposed restrictions on courthouse immigration arrests, but they were quickly undone when Trump returned to office this year.
Under guidance issued Jan. 21, ICE officials are allowed to carry out immigration enforcement in or near courthouses if they believe someone they’re trying to find will be there. Whenever possible, the agents are supposed to make arrests in nonpublic areas, to coordinate with courthouse security and to avoid disrupting court operations.
Virginia prosecutor promises to investigate court arrest
Teodoro Dominguez Rodriguez, identified by ICE as a Honduran national, was confronted and arrested by immigration enforcement officers after he left a Charlottesville courtroom April 22. It was the second immigration arrest at the court that day.
The first wasn’t recorded, but as word spread, Nick Reppucci, who heads the public defender’s office there, scrambled staff to the courthouse. They captured Dominguez Rodriguez’s arrest on camera.
The three agents, one in a balaclava-style ski mask, ignored demands from observers to show badges or a warrant, the video shows. One agent threatened to have the U.S. attorney’s office prosecute two women who tried to place themselves between the agents and Dominguez Rodriguez.
Sherriff Chan Bryant confirmed that the agents had shown badges and paperwork to a bailiff beforehand. But Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley criticized the officers for failing to identify themselves while making the arrest.
“Bystanders, or the person being arrested, might have violently resisted what on its face appeared to be an unlawful assault and abduction,” Hingeley said in an emailed statement.
Reppucci decried the “normalization happening here, where federal law enforcement are at this point grabbing people without being required to show that person any form of identification.”
In a written statement, ICE stood behind the actions of the officers, “who are trained to assess and prosecute apprehensions in a manner that best ensures operational success and public safety.”
The Associated Press was unable to locate relatives who might speak on Dominguez Rodriguez’s behalf, and it was not clear if he had an attorney representing him.
Repucci stressed the impact arrests like Dominguez Rodriguez’s could have on people coming to court, a place he said is supposed to be where “disputes are resolved in an orderly, peaceful manner.”
“People in divorce proceedings, people with civil disputes, custody hearings, potential witnesses, all are going to be less likely to come to court,” he said.
Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, and Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed to this report. Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press.
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press Release
Justice Department Announces Two Cases Involving Judicial Misconduct and Obstruction of Law Enforcement
Friday, April 25, 2025
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
Ex-Judge of Dona Ana County Charged with Evidence Tampering and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Charged with Unlawful Obstruction and Concealment
The Justice Department today announced federal criminal charges in two separate cases involving the alleged obstruction of federal law enforcement operations and unlawful concealment of individuals residing illegally in the United States.
“The allegations against Judge Dugan and Judge Cano are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "Doing so imperils the safety of our law enforcement officers and undermines the rule of law. The Department of Justice will continue to follow the facts — no one is above the law.”
“Sanctuary jurisdictions that shield criminal aliens endanger American communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Justice Department will not stand by as local officials put politics over public safety. Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class—criminals. Those days are over.”
*United States v. Jose Luis Cano; United States v. Nancy Ann Cano, District of New Mexico
Nancy Ann Cano, 68, and Jose Luis Cano, 67, were arrested yesterday for evidence tampering offenses related to the federal investigation and prosecution against Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national residing unlawfully within the United States and with alleged ties to transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
“Judges are responsible for upholding our country’s laws. It is beyond egregious for a former judge and his wife to engage in evidence tampering on behalf of a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member accused of illegally possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling this foreign terrorist organization by disrupting its criminal operations in New Mexico. That starts by prosecuting those who support gang members — including judges.”
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) initiated the investigation into Ortega-Lopez after receiving an anonymous tip that the individual was unlawfully present in the United States and in possession of firearms. Subsequent investigation confirmed that the defendant illegally entered the country on Dec. 15, 2023, near Eagle Pass, Texas, and was released shortly thereafter due to overcrowding at the Border Patrol facility.
Evidence uncovered by federal agents revealed the defendant had posted multiple photos and videos on social media showing him and other illegal aliens handling firearms at a shooting range in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Among the weapons allegedly pictured were a Sig Sauer P365 handgun, an AR-15 rifle equipped with a suppressor, and other high-powered firearms and ammunition. Distinctive tattoos confirmed Ortega-Lopez’s identity in the photos and videos. Further review of his social media activity revealed content suggesting affiliation with Tren de Aragua, including gang-related tattoos, hand gestures, and clothing.
According to court documents, in January 2025, HSI received a tip that Ortega-Lopez was unlawfully residing with other illegal aliens at a property in Las Cruces owned by Nancy and Jose Cano. Prior to his resignation in March 2025, Jose Cano served as a judge of the Dona Ana County Magistrate Court.
On Feb. 28, 2025, HSI executed two federal search warrants in connection with the investigation, resulting in the arrest of the Ortega-Lopez and multiple associates, and the seizure of four firearms.
Ortega-Lopez was arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Four firearms believed to be in Ortega-Lopez’s possession, along with three of his cell phones, were seized during the operation. During the search, Ortega-Lopez was permitted to make a phone call before being taken to the Doña Ana County Detention Center (DACDC). He informed agents that a particular phone he wished to use was not among the devices recovered. Video calls from DACDC later showed Nancy Cano holding a black iPhone believed to be Ortega’s fourth phone.
In a March 7 call with Ortega-Lopez, Nancy Cano used the device to contact a person named “Michelle” via WhatsApp, then facilitated a FaceTime conversation between Michelle and Ortega-Lopez using her personal phone. Additionally, in an April 20 call, Nancy Cano and Ortega-Lopez discussed deleting his Facebook account – a platform where he had previously shared incriminating content, including gang affiliations and images with firearms.
On April 24, HSI agents executed a subsequent search warrant at the Cano residence to locate the missing cellphone. During questioning, Jose Cano admitted to destroying Ortega’s cellphone by smashing it with a hammer approximately five weeks prior, believing it contained incriminating photos and videos of Ortega with firearms.
Forensic analysis of the recovered phones revealed messages linked to Ortega’s criminal activities, including affiliations with the Tren de Aragua gang and images of Ortega with firearms.
Jose Cano is charged with one count of tampering with evidence and Nancy Cano is charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised released, and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Ortega-Lopez is charged with being an unlawful alien in possession of firearms and ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Despite strong evidence and pre-trial services’ assessment that the defendant poses a serious risk of flight and danger to the community, a U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered the defendant released on conditions. The government has since filed a notice of appeal challenging that decision, citing the defendant’s unlawful status, gang affiliations, disregard for previous release conditions, and risk to public safety.
HSI is investigating the cases, with valuable assistance from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Armijo, Randy Castellano, and Elizabeth Tonkin for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting both cases.
*United States v. Hannah C. Dugan, Eastern District of Wisconsin
The Justice Department today announced the filing of a federal criminal complaint against Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah C. Dugan, 65, for her alleged interference with a federal law enforcement operation and unlawful concealment of an individual subject to arrest.
According to court documents, the charges stem from events occurring on April 18, when members of the Milwaukee office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), along with federal partners from the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, attempted to execute a lawful arrest warrant for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national previously removed from the United States and recently charged in Milwaukee County with multiple counts of domestic abuse-related battery.
According to court documents, 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, Judge Dugan allegedly confronted and ordered federal agents to leave the courthouse. After being made aware of a valid immigration arrest warrant, Judge 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, Judge Dugan allegedly elected not to conduct a hearing on Flores-Ruiz’s criminal case, despite the fact that victims of his offense were present, and instead personally escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a restricted “jury door” exit 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, Judge Dugan’s actions directly resulted in Flores-Ruiz temporarily avoiding federal custody. He was ultimately arrested outside the courthouse, following a brief foot pursuit. ELEVATOR RIDE?
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.
*A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Updated April 30, 2025
SEEKING ASYLUM, HAD GONE THRU ICE CHECKPTS; clothes hand gestures tatoos
More details emerge about Judge Cano’s arrest | Las Cruces Bulletin
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On Friday, April 25, far-right FBI Director Kash Patel announced that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has been arrested on federal obstruction charges for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant "evade arrest."
On X, formerly Twitter, Patel posted, "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."
A law enforcement official told ABC News that Dugan was arrested at the courthouse.
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According to MSNBC, Patel's tweet on Dugan was removed from X.
During an MSNBC appearance, attorney Temidayo Aganga-Williams told host José Díaz-Balart that the arrest of a judge was "unusual" but added, "I think it's going to be a pattern going forward…. I think it's only going to pick up."
Dugan's arrest is receiving plenty of reactions on X, formerly Twitter.
Some MAGA Republicans are applauding the arrest.
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John Fabbricatore, a former field officer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), tweeted, "Judge Hannah Dugan arrested by FBI for allegedly helping illegal alien 'evade arrest' by ICE. 'Lawfare' by these judges has to stop. This is a good start!"
Far-right MAGA radio host Benny Johnson posted, "Another rogue judge down. FAFO."
But others see Dugan's arrest as MAGA ramping up its authoritarian disdain for the rule of law.
Journalist Kristian Ramos tweeted, "I see we are now at 'arresting judges' on our path to autocracy.
"On Democracy" host Fred Wellman noted, "Marshalls appear to be confirming she was arrested and other news outlets are picking it up now."
X user Iron Goodman wrote, "This is a chilling escalation of federal overreach and raises serious questions about the scope of executive power versus judicial independence."
Another X user, Laura Okazaki, posted, "We must not look away while the feds take us another step into authoritarianism."
X user Hannah Martinez tweeted, "This is a deeply unsettling development with huge implications for the rule of law and potential abuses of power. The optics are disastrous."
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