Wisconsin Judge Guilty: Obstruction & Immigration Aid

A Wisconsin judge was found guilty of obstruction Thursday for helping an undocumented immigrant avoid federal authorities, a victory for President Donald Trump as his administration continues its immigration crackdown.

Judge Hannah Dugan Found Guilty of Obstruction

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was charged in April with obstruction, a felony, and concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanor. The jury acquitted her on the concealment count, but she faces up to five years in prison on the obstruction count.

The jury reached the verdicts after six hours of deliberation. A sentencing date has not been set.

Dugan and her attorneys left the courtroom Thursday and declined to speak to reporters. Her lead attorney, Steve Biskupic, expressed disappointment with the ruling, stating he didn’t understand the split verdict given the similarities between the charges.

U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel denied the case was politically motivated and urged acceptance of the verdict. He defended arresting individuals in courthouses, citing safety and the need to apprehend wanted people.

“Some have sought to make this about a larger political battle,” Schimel said. “While this case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day, in a public courthouse. The defendant is certainly not evil. Nor is she a martyr for some greater cause.”

Court filings, including an FBI affidavit and a federal grand jury indictment, detail how immigration authorities went to the Milwaukee County courthouse on April 18 after learning Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, had illegally reentered the country and was scheduled for a hearing in a state battery case.

Dugan learned that agents were waiting for Flores-Ruiz outside her courtroom. She confronted them, falsely claiming their administrative warrant was insufficient for an arrest and directing them to the chief judge’s office.

While the agents were diverted, she addressed Flores-Ruiz’s case off the record, suggested he attend his next hearing via Zoom, and led him and his attorney out a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, followed him outside, and arrested him after a foot chase. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in November that Flores-Ruiz had been deported.

The case intensified tensions surrounding Trump’s immigration crackdown, with his administration labeling Dugan an activist judge and Democrats arguing the administration was attempting to discourage judicial opposition to its policies.

Prosecutors presented evidence during the trial showing Dugan directed agents to the chief judge’s office to create an opportunity for Flores-Ruiz to escape.

They also played audio recordings from her courtroom in which she stated she would “take the heat” for helping Flores-Ruiz leave through the back.

Dugan’s attorneys argued she was following courthouse protocols requiring court employees to report immigration agents to their supervisors and did not intentionally obstruct the arrest team.

This story has been updated with additional details.