Federal judge arrested in milwaukee for obstructing immigration arrest

Federal judge arrested in Milwaukee for obstructing immigration arrest

Federal agents say a Wisconsin judge helped an illegal immigrant flee arrest—now she's the one in custody.

MILWAUKEE, WI — The FBI has arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan on charges of obstruction, alleging she interfered with a federal immigration arrest inside her courtroom, according to a statement posted Thursday by FBI Director Kash Patel.

In the post, Patel stated that Judge Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested,” identifying the individual as Eduardo Flores Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant who was present at the courthouse. The incident allegedly occurred during an enforcement operation conducted last week.


Key Points

  • FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan on obstruction charges in Milwaukee.
  • Dugan allegedly interfered with the arrest of Eduardo Flores Ruiz by federal agents.
  • Ruiz was later apprehended on foot and remains in custody.

Arrest follows courthouse immigration enforcement incident

According to Patel, Dugan’s actions allowed the subject to temporarily evade detention, prompting a foot pursuit by agents outside the courthouse. “The Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public,” Patel wrote, adding that Ruiz was ultimately taken into custody and has remained detained since the incident.

FBI praises Milwaukee agents as investigation continues

Patel commended the FBI’s Milwaukee division for its handling of the operation. No statement has yet been issued by Judge Dugan or her legal counsel, and court records related to the charges had not been made publicly available as of Thursday afternoon.

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