CNN Hosts Appear to Question Arrest Of Judge Charged With Hiding Illegal Migrant
It turns out that when Democrats and the media claimed “nobody is above the law,” they apparently had certain exceptions.
On Friday, a CNN commentator seemed noticeably shaken by news that Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan had been arrested for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant—accused of domestic violence—evade arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The incident reportedly took place last week when Dugan is said to have deliberately misled federal agents at the Milwaukee County Courthouse as they attempted to detain Eduardo Flores Ruiz.
However, the reaction at CNN didn’t mirror the intense coverage and outrage they exhibited when reporting on the raid at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence or his legal battles.
“This is something that we have certainly not seen before, but appears to be part of this aggressive approach the Trump administration has toward immigration,” said CNN’s Katelyn Polantz during a Friday segment covering the story.
She further noted, “it would be a startling development if this judge was arrested as she was working on the bench as a judge handling an immigration case or a case of a person that ICE was also interested in.”
Anchor Wolf Blitzer characterized the situation as “very dramatic and significant indeed.”
WATCH:
The Department of Justice issued a statement following the arrest.
According to the DOJ press release, “The Justice Department today announced federal criminal charges in two separate cases involving the alleged obstruction of federal law enforcement operations and unlawful concealment of individuals residing illegally in the United States,” referring both to Dugan and former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano. Cano faces charges for allegedly sheltering an illegal immigrant gang member and giving him access to firearms.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “The allegations against Judge Dugan and Judge Cano are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations. Doing so imperils the safety of our law enforcement officers and undermines the rule of law. The Department of Justice will continue to follow the facts — no one is above the law.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added, “Sanctuary jurisdictions that shield criminal aliens endanger American communities. This Justice Department will not stand by as local officials put politics over public safety. Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class—criminals. Those days are over.”
The release detailed that Dugan’s case involves “alleged interference with a federal law enforcement operation and unlawful concealment of an individual subject to arrest.”
Per the DOJ’s account, the incident occurred on April 18, when agents from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) office in Milwaukee—working alongside federal partners from the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection—sought to execute an arrest warrant against Flores-Ruiz. He is described as a Mexican national who had previously been deported and had recently been charged in Milwaukee County with multiple domestic abuse-related offenses.
Court documents allege that agents planned to detain Flores-Ruiz in a public hallway after a hearing before Judge Dugan. When Judge Dugan became aware of the agents' presence, she allegedly confronted them and ordered them to leave the courthouse.
Despite being informed of a valid immigration arrest warrant, the judge insisted they required a judicial warrant and directed them to the Chief Judge’s office. After the agents departed the area, Dugan is said to have canceled Flores-Ruiz’s hearing—despite the presence of victims—and personally led him and his attorney out through a restricted "jury door" not commonly used by defendants.
The exit reportedly led to a non-public hallway, enabling Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to temporarily elude federal custody. Nevertheless, agents eventually apprehended him outside the courthouse after a short foot chase.
Dugan faces charges of obstruction of proceedings before a U.S. department or agency—carrying a potential five-year prison sentence—and of concealing a person to prevent arrest, which could result in up to one year of imprisonment.