A Milwaukee judge was found guilty of obstructing justice after allegedly helping a Mexican immigrant evade federal arrest, a verdict that underscores President Trump’s aggressive immigration stance.
Verdict and Sentencing
The jury found Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan guilty of obstruction, a felony, and acquitted her of the misdemeanor count of concealing an individual to prevent arrest. The obstruction charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The jury deliberated for six hours before reaching the verdict. No sentencing date had been set as of late Thursday evening.
Political Reactions
The case has inflamed tensions over Trump’s immigration crackdown. The administration labeled Dugan an “activist judge,” while Democrats argued that the administration was trying to make an example of her to blunt judicial opposition. U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel denied that the case was political and urged people to accept the verdict peacefully. He said courthouse arrests are safer because people are screened for weapons and that it is not unfair for law enforcement to arrest wanted people in courthouses. Schimel added, “Some have sought to make this about a larger political battle. While this case is serious for all involved, it is ultimately about a single day, a single bad day, in a public courthouse. The defendant is certainly not evil. Nor is she a martyr for some greater cause.”
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the verdict on X, saying nobody is above the law, even judges.
Lead attorney Steve Biskupic expressed disappointment, saying he did not understand how the jury could have reached a split verdict since the elements of both charges were virtually the same.
Details of the Alleged Obstruction
According to court filings that include an FBI affidavit and a federal grand jury indictment, immigration authorities arrived at the Milwaukee County courthouse on April 18 after learning that 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Judge Dugan for a state battery case hearing.
Dugan learned that agents were in the corridor outside her courtroom waiting for Flores-Ruiz. She left the courtroom to confront them, falsely telling them their administrative warrant for Flores-Ruiz wasn’t sufficient grounds to arrest him and directing them to go to the chief judge’s office.
While the agents were gone, Dugan addressed Flores-Ruiz’s case off the record, told his attorney that he could attend his next hearing via Zoom, and led Flores-Ruiz and the attorney out a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, followed him outside, and arrested him after a foot chase. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in November that he had been deported.
Prosecutors and Defense Arguments
Prosecutors worked during the trial to show that Dugan directed agents to the chief judge’s office to create an opening for Flores-Ruiz to escape. An FBI agent who led the investigation testified that after agents left the corridor, she immediately moved Flores-Ruiz’s case to the top of her docket, told him that he could appear for his next hearing via Zoom, and led him out the private door.
Prosecutors also played audio recordings from her courtroom in which she can be heard telling her court reporter that she’d take “the heat” for leading Flores-Ruiz out the back.
Her attorneys countered that she was following courthouse protocols that called for court employees to report any immigration agents to their supervisors and that she did not intentionally try to obstruct the arrest team.
Key Takeaways
- Judge Hannah Dugan was convicted of obstruction but acquitted of concealment.
- The conviction carries a potential five-year prison sentence.
- The case highlights ongoing tensions over Trump’s immigration policies.
The verdict marks a significant moment in the administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy and raises questions about the limits of judicial conduct when federal agents are present in a courthouse.
