A Wisconsin judge convicted of obstructing federal officers’ attempt to arrest an undocumented immigrant has resigned. Hannah Dugan, who served nine years as a Milwaukee county circuit court judge, was found guilty on 19 December and faced pressure from state Republicans to step down or face impeachment.
The case drew national attention after immigration authorities sought to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz during a hearing in her courtroom. Dugan confronted FBI and ICE agents waiting outside, directing them to the chief judge’s office. While the agents were away, she told Flores-Ruiz’s lawyer his client could attend the next hearing via Zoom and led them through a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz and arrested him after a foot chase; he was later sentenced to time served and deported.
In her resignation letter to Democratic Governor Tony Evers, Dugan stated she is pursuing a legal fight for the independence of the judiciary. “However, the Wisconsin citizens that I cherish deserve to start the year with a judge on the bench … rather than have the fate of that court rest in a partisan fight in the state legislature,” she wrote.
Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos praised the decision, saying Dugan “did the right thing.” Democrat Ann Jacobs, chair of the Wisconsin elections commission, expressed support for Dugan, noting her commitment to removing the judiciary from political battles.
