FBI Arrests US Judge in Her Office Over Undocumented Immigrant
- Federal agents arrested Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan for allegedly obstructing immigration agents and helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest
- The charges stemmed from an incident where Dugan reportedly misdirected agents and facilitated the escape of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was later apprehended
- The arrest has sparked partisan reactions, with debates over judicial conduct and immigration enforcement intensifying
Federal agents arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan on charges of obstruction and concealing an individual to avoid arrest.
The arrest followed allegations that Dugan attempted to help Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican national, evade immigration agents during a court hearing.
Source: Getty Images
FBI Director Kash Patel accused the judge of "intentionally misdirecting" agents, stating that her actions endangered public safety. Flores-Ruiz, who had previously been deported in 2013, was apprehended after a brief foot chase outside the courthouse.
Details of the incident in court
The charges stemmed from events on 17 April, when an immigration judge issued a warrant for Flores-Ruiz, who faced three misdemeanour battery counts.
The following day, six agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, and the DEA arrived at the courthouse to arrest him. According to an FBI affidavit, Judge Dugan became visibly upset upon learning of the agents’ presence, calling the situation "absurd." She reportedly left the bench, argued with the agents about the arrest warrant, and directed them to the county’s chief judge’s office.
While some agents were away, Dugan allegedly escorted Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer through a side door meant for jury members. However, two agents near the courtroom spotted the escape attempt and arrested Flores-Ruiz shortly after.
Legal and political reactions
Judge Dugan, who was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2022, faces a maximum of six years in prison if convicted on both charges. She was released on her own recognisance pending a hearing on 15 May.
Her lawyer stated during a preliminary hearing that Dugan "wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest," arguing that it was not in the interest of public safety.
The arrest has sparked partisan reactions. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, criticised the move as a "gravely serious and drastic" action, warning it undermines democratic values. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson echoed these concerns, calling the arrest "showboating" and cautioning against its chilling effect on court proceedings.
Conversely, Republican Senator Ron Johnson urged cooperation with federal law enforcement, emphasising the importance of not obstructing efforts to arrest criminals and undocumented individuals.
Source: UGC
Broader context and similar cases
Dugan’s arrest follows a similar case in New Mexico, where a former judge was accused of harbouring a Venezuelan gang member.
In 2019, during the Trump administration, a Massachusetts judge faced obstruction charges for allowing an undocumented immigrant to leave a courtroom. While those charges were later dropped, the case highlighted ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and the judiciary.
Court directs FBI to release Tinubu’s investigation records
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has ordered US law enforcement agencies to release confidential information related to President Bola Tinubu’s involvement in a purported federal investigation in the 1990s.
Judge Beryl Howell, in a ruling on April 8, criticised the agencies’ use of “Glomar responses,” which refused to confirm or deny the existence of relevant records, labelling their reasoning as “neither logical nor plausible.”
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Source: Legit.ng
