A Milwaukee County circuit judge has been arrested by the FBI over allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant “evade arrest,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post, which was then deleted.
Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on obstruction charges, according to Patel.
“The FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week,” he said in the since-deleted post. “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.”
Dugan was arrested early Friday at the courthouse, a law enforcement official confirmed to ABC News. The Department of Justice declined to comment further on Patel’s now-deleted post on X.
Dugan appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on Friday on two charges: obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States and concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.
She was released on her own recognizance.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, shown during a candidate forum in 2016.
Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/IMAGN
Flores Ruiz was still arrested a short time later.
“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,” Patel said.
Flores Ruiz’s complaint notes that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement task force planned to arrest him on April 18 at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
“They observed FLORES-Ruiz arrive and enter the courtroom with his attorney. At some point, FLORES-Ruiz apparently learned that ICE ERO intended to arrest him and fled the building,” the complaint says. “Task force members located FLORES-Ruiz outside the courthouse and approached him. FLORES-Ruiz then ran from the task force members and was eventually apprehended a short distance away.”
The account aligns with county court records showing Flores Ruiz was set to appear in court April 18 before Dugan for a pretrial conference in a case where he has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of battery/domestic abuse connected to an incident on March 12.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
