Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge, Hannah Dugan was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on April 25, 2025. She was charged with obstruction of justice and concealing an individual to prevent their arrest. The arrest was as a result of an incident where Dugan allegedly assisted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant with a history of violent offenses, in evading the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a court appearance.
Born in 1959, Hannah C. Dugan has had a distinguished legal career. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1987 and later earned a Master of Arts degree from Boston College. Dugan served as the executive director for Catholic Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin from 2006 to 2009. She was also president of the Milwaukee Bar Association in 1999–2000. Additionally, she worked with several legal aid organizations, focusing on providing legal assistance to underserved communities.
In 2016, Dugan was elected to the Wisconsin Circuit Court for Milwaukee County, Branch 31, defeating incumbent Paul Rifelj with 65% of the vote. She was re-elected without opposition in 2022. Dugan primarily handled misdemeanor cases and was known for her commitment to fair and equitable justice during her tenure.
Why was she arrested?
The reason for Judge Dugan’s arrest happened on April 18, 2025. It was during a scheduled court hearing for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. Flores-Ruiz, a 30-year-old Mexican national, was facing misdemeanor battery charges. He had been previously deported in 2013 and was in the U.S. illegally and The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had obtained an administrative warrant for his arrest and were present at the courthouse to arrest him.
According to FBI reports, when she learnt of the ICE’s presence, Judge Dugan allegedly confronted the agents and questioned the validity of their warrant. She then postponed Flores-Ruiz’s hearing and directed him and his attorney to exit through a non-public courtroom door, evading the waiting ICE agents. Despite her efforts, ICE agents pursued and eventually arrested Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse. He was subsequently detained at the Dodge County Detention Facility.
In response to the incident, the FBI charged Judge Dugan with two felony counts: obstruction of justice and concealing an individual to prevent their arrest. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that Dugan had “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse.” The Department of Homeland Security condemned her actions, labeling them as a deliberate attempt to shield an accused criminal from justice.
Judge Dugan’s arrest is part of a broader pattern of federal actions targeting state and local officials who have resisted or limited cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
