Hannah Dugan, a Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee, has been arrested by the FBI on federal obstruction charges. Now the FBI is accusing Dugan of intentionally misleading federal agents. They allege that he assisted undocumented immigrant Eduardo Flores Ruiz in avoiding arrest. This fiery clash of realities allegedly took place inside Dugan’s courthouse, which led to a more than year-long extensive investigation by the FBI.
In pursuing Dugan—announcing his arrest in a press release last week—FBI Director Kash Patel indicated how severe the allegations are. According to Patel, Dugan’s actions not only hindered the federal agents’ efforts but posed a potential risk to public safety. He stated, “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.”
This investigation began when federal agents themselves were alerted to Dugan’s misconduct after she intervened to obstruct their own investigative efforts. They were attempting to arrest Flores Ruiz at the time. Dugan had allegedly acted with intent by making false statements. This ruse did a good job keeping agents from finding the undocumented immigrant.
As this case shows, there is a dangerous and growing trend toward judicial interference in federal immigration enforcement. Now the FBI is zeroing in on Dugan’s actions. This is part of a broader important push to ensure law enforcement is held accountable for any misconduct that would compromise their operations.
Dugan’s arrest represents a major new flashpoint in the ongoing conflict between state courts and federal immigration enforcement. Hopefully, as the investigation continues, more context surrounding this case will come to light.