A circuit court judge in Wisconsin has been convicted of a federal obstruction charge after she helped a Mexican immigrant avoid arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents inside her own courtroom. The verdict is being hailed as a victory for the Trump administration's hardline stance on illegal migration.
The Courtroom Confrontation and Charges
Federal prosecutors brought charges against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in April. She was accused of obstructing a federal agency, a felony, and concealing an individual to prevent arrest, a misdemeanour. The indictment stated she 'knowingly' hid Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented migrant from Mexico, so he would not be discovered and detained by ICE officers.
The incident unfolded on April 18 when Flores-Ruiz appeared in Judge Dugan's courtroom for a pretrial hearing on domestic abuse charges. ICE agents, alerted to his court date, arrived to apprehend him. According to a criminal complaint, Dugan was notified of their presence and 'became visibly angry', calling it 'absurd'. She allegedly left the bench and confronted the agents, demanding they leave and stating they needed a judicial warrant.
Prosecutors argued that Dugan then directed the agents to the chief judge's office. Seizing this opportunity, she allegedly moved Flores-Ruiz's case to the top of her docket, informed him he could appear at his next hearing via Zoom, and then led him and his attorney out of a private 'jury door' not typically used by the public. Audio recordings played at trial captured Dugan telling her court reporter she would 'take the heat' for her actions.
Trial, Verdict, and Political Fallout
After a six-hour deliberation, the jury returned a split verdict. They acquitted Dugan on the misdemeanour concealment charge but found her guilty of the felony obstruction count. She now faces up to five years in prison, with a sentencing date yet to be scheduled.
The case quickly became politically charged. The Trump administration labelled Dugan an 'activist judge', while Democrats countered that the White House was attempting to make an example of her to intimidate other judges who might oppose immigration enforcement operations. US Attorney Brad Schimel denied the case was political, urging the public to accept the verdict peacefully.
Dugan's lead attorney, Steve Biskupic, expressed disappointment, questioning the logic of the split verdict given the similar elements of both charges. Following the conviction, the Wisconsin Supreme Court had already suspended Dugan from her duties in May, citing the public interest.
Background of the Individuals Involved
The migrant at the centre of the case, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, was facing three misdemeanour battery charges for an alleged assault on March 12. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security stated he had been deported in 2013 and had no legal permission to return to the United States. Despite briefly escaping the courthouse with Dugan's help, he was apprehended by ICE agents outside and was deported in November following the Department of Homeland Security's announcement.
During the trial, Dugan's defence team argued she was attempting to follow courthouse protocols for reporting immigration agents to supervisors and did not intentionally obstruct the arrest. However, the prosecution successfully convinced the jury that her actions were a deliberate attempt to facilitate an escape. US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the verdict on social media, stating that nobody is above the law, 'even judges'.
