Judge Found Guilty Of Obstructing ICE Agents At Wisconsin Courthouse
A federal jury has convicted a Wisconsin judge of obstructing federal immigration enforcement, delivering a sharp rebuke to what critics say has become open defiance of the law by activist members of the judiciary.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was found guilty Friday on a felony obstruction charge for interfering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an attempted arrest inside a courthouse earlier this year. She was acquitted on a separate misdemeanor count of concealing an individual to prevent arrest.
The verdict came after roughly six hours of deliberations in federal court in Milwaukee, Fox News reported. Dugan now faces up to five years in prison on the felony conviction, though a sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
The case stems from an April 18 incident involving Eduardo Flores Ruiz, an illegal immigrant who was due to appear in Dugan’s courtroom on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge. Federal prosecutors said ICE agents were present at the courthouse that day to execute an immigration warrant for Flores Ruiz’s illegal reentry into the United States.
According to trial testimony and court filings, Dugan became aware that plainclothes ICE agents were inside the building searching for Flores Ruiz. Prosecutors said she confronted the agents in a hallway outside her courtroom, questioned the legitimacy of their warrant, and directed them to speak with the chief judge before proceeding.
The government argued that this confrontation delayed the agents and directly interfered with their lawful attempt to carry out an arrest.
Prosecutors further alleged that after confronting the agents, Dugan alerted Flores Ruiz’s attorney to ICE’s presence and helped the attorney escort the defendant out of the courtroom through a private back door typically reserved for jurors.
Flores Ruiz was later spotted by agents elsewhere in the courthouse and arrested outside the building following a brief foot chase. He was subsequently deported after pleading guilty to illegal reentry and resolving the underlying misdemeanor charge.
Dugan’s defense team argued she was acting within her judicial role and following courthouse protocols, insisting she was focused on maintaining order and safety rather than obstructing law enforcement. The jury rejected that argument on the felony obstruction charge while acquitting her on the concealment count.
Following the verdict, Dugan’s attorneys said they were disappointed but emphasized that prosecutors did not prevail on every charge. They indicated plans to file post-trial motions and pursue an appeal, calling the verdict only the beginning of a longer legal battle.
Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Brad Schimel pushed back on claims that the prosecution was politically motivated, saying the case should be viewed as a straightforward application of the law. He said Dugan was neither a villain nor a martyr and that prosecutors were not attempting to make an example of a judge.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, serving under President Donald J. Trump’s second-term administration, took a much sharper tone. Blanche said Dugan betrayed her oath and the public trust, adding that the verdict sends a clear message that no one—judges included—is above the law.
Dugan was arrested by the FBI in April and released on her own recognizance. Later that month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended her with pay pending the outcome of the criminal case.
At the time of her suspension, Dugan was earning roughly $175,000 per year. Under Wisconsin law, a felony conviction renders an individual ineligible to hold public office, meaning she can no longer serve as a judge.
It remains unclear whether the Wisconsin Supreme Court will impose additional discipline while Dugan’s appeal works its way through the courts. For now, the conviction stands as a rare but consequential example of accountability—one applauded by advocates of immigration enforcement and equal justice under the law.