(MILWAUKEE) --A Milwaukee County circuit judge was arrested by the FBI over allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest, federal authorities said.
Judge Hannah Dugan was charged with two criminal counts of "obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States" and "concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest," according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest earlier Friday in a social media post, which was briefly deleted and reposted.
"Just NOW, 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," Patel said in the new 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."
According to the complaint, Dugan sought to help Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant appearing before her in criminal proceedings, evade arrest by federal officers from an ICE task force.
Witnesses who spoke to the FBI said that Judge Dugan learned ICE officers were present in court to arrest Flores-Ruiz, she became "visibly angry" and said the situation was "absurd" before leaving the bench and entering her chambers, according to the complaint against the judge.
Judge Dugan and another unidentified judge then approached the arrest team in the public hallway and said she "was visibly upset and had a confrontational, angry demeanor," and asked one of the officers whether they were present for a court appearance.
When the officer replied they were there to make an arrest, Judge Dugan asked if they had a judicial warrant, to which the officer responded, "No I have an administrative warrant."
Multiple witnesses later allegedly said Judge Dugan returned to her courtroom after directing members of the arrest team to the office of the court's chief judge.
"The courtroom deputy then saw Judge DUGAN get up and heard Judge DUGAN say something like 'Wait, come with me,'" the complaint states. "Despite having been advised of the administrative warrant for the arrest of Flores-Ruiz, Judge DUGAN then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel out of the courtroom through the 'jury door,' which leads to a nonpublic area of the courthouse."
Judge Dugan later returned to the courtroom, witnesses said, and told Flores-Ruiz's attorney and an unidentified male to leave through the backdoor of the courtroom.
A DEA agent later saw Flores-Ruiz and his attorney in the public hallway of the courthouse and appeared to be making efforts to evade arrest. After he was encountered by FBI and DEA agents outside the building, Flores-Ruiz "turned around and sprinted down the street" before he was ultimately apprehended.
Dugan was arrested Friday morning at the courthouse, a law enforcement official confirmed to ABC News. The Department of Justice declined to comment further on Patel's post on X.
Dugan appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on Friday on the two charges. She was released on her own recognizance.
Her attorney Craig Mastantuono said in court, "Judge Dugan wholeheartedly protests the arrest and believes it was not made in the interests of public safety."
County court records show 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.
Federal prosecutors allege Flores-Ruiz illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico and was issued an Expedited Removal order in January 2013, according to a criminal complaint. Further details about the domestic abuse charges were not immediately available.
If convicted on the charges, Dugan could face up to six years in prison.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.