Former Wisconsin judge avoids prison in ICE obstruction case

Former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan has been fined $5,000 and will not serve prison time for obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. In April 2025, Dugan, then a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, directed ICE agents to the chief judge's office, stating their administrative warrant was insufficient to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. She then escorted Flores-Ruiz, who had re-entered the U.S. illegally, and his lawyer out of the courthouse through a private jury door. Agents apprehended Flores-Ruiz outside the building after a brief chase. Dugan maintained she was trying to maintain courtroom decorum and safety, not acting maliciously. The judge cited her decades of public service in his decision to spare her prison time.

Former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan was spared prison time and instead fined $5,000 for felony obstruction. In April 2025, Dugan ushered a Mexican defendant out of her Milwaukee courtroom to evade US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were present to arrest him. A federal judge issued the sentence, citing Dugan's otherwise law-abiding life and stating that prison was not necessary for her "few minutes of conduct." Dugan, who resigned her judgeship amid impeachment threats, argued her actions were to maintain courtroom decorum and safety, not malicious. Prosecutors contended she violated her oath, but her attorneys argued she had been sufficiently punished. Dugan's attorneys plan to appeal the conviction.

Former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan is scheduled for sentencing after being convicted of felony obstruction for assisting an immigrant in evading federal officers. The incident occurred in April 2025 when immigration agents attempted to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz in the Milwaukee County courthouse, where Dugan was presiding over his case. Dugan confronted the agents, questioned their warrant, and subsequently led Flores-Ruiz out through a private exit. Flores-Ruiz was later apprehended after a foot chase. Dugan, who resigned from her position following the conviction, faces up to five years in prison. Prosecutors argue her actions violated her oath and endangered law enforcement, while her defense contends she has already been sufficiently punished. The case became a national point of contention during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.