Judge Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee County has been provisionally relieved of her judicial responsibilities as a result of her arrest on federal charges. The charges are purportedly related to her alleged assistance in evading federal agents’ capture of a previously deported immigrant.
According to reports, on April 18, Dugan is accused of escorting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national who is currently facing local assault charges, through a restricted exit at the courthouse in order to evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were awaiting outside. Subsequently, Flores-Ruiz was apprehended outside the structure.
Dugan has been charged by federal authorities with concealing an individual from apprehension and obstructing a federal proceeding. The FBI apprehended her and she is scheduled to appear in federal court in mid-May.
She has been temporarily suspended from all official court duties by the Wisconsin Supreme Court while the legal case is ongoing. In the interim, her courtroom duties are being transferred to other justices.
The case has prompted debate in legal and political circles, with some contending that it reflects the necessary enforcement of immigration law, while others view the arrest as federal overreach. Dugan has stated that she intends to contest the allegations through her legal team.