Federal agents arrested Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan on Friday after she allegedly helped an undocumented immigrant avoid apprehension by law enforcement, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
In a post on X, Patel announced that Dugan has been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly assisting Eduardo Flores Ruiz in evading federal agents following his appearance in her courtroom last week.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to CNBC that Dugan was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. local time on courthouse grounds. A senior law enforcement official told NBC News that she remains in custody and is expected to appear later Friday in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee on the obstruction charge.
Patel claimed in his post that the FBI believes Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away” from Ruiz during the attempted arrest. “Thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public,” Patel wrote.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Tuesday that the FBI had been investigating Dugan’s actions during an April 18 attempt by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to detain Ruiz at the courthouse. ICE agents have previously made arrests in courthouse hallways in both March and April, the paper noted.
White House spokesman Kush Desai commented on the situation, stating, “The days of actively aiding and abetting illegal aliens invading our country are over.”
