US officials arrested Milwaukee county circuit judge, Hannah Dugan on the charges of helping a man evade an immigration arrest. As the dispute between the Trump administration and immigration authorities deepen, a criminal complaint was filed against the US judge. FBI director, Kash Patel took to social media and shared “No one is above the law” with an image of Dugan’s arrest.
On April 18, immigration officials showed up to the Wisconsin courtroom without a judicial warrant to arrest a Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the defaulter. As per the criminal accusation, Dugan helped the man avoid arrest by allowing him to exit through a jury door.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) April 26, 2025
As the effect of Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, the Milwaukee judge was taken into custody on Friday. She was accused of “intentionally misdirecting” federal agents who were trying to detain the man. Kash Patel’s now deleted post on X came after her arrest stating, “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,” as per AP.
Hannah Dugan made a brief appearance in the federal court on April 25 and the next hearing is scheduled for May 15. However, the details of the case have not been made public and no official statement from the Justice Department has been made.
Soon after the judge’s arrest, a crowd gathered to protest the arrest with chants that said, “Free the judge now”. Dugan’s arrest is not the only judicial arrest made this week. Federal authorities also took custody of former New Mexico judge, Joel Cano and charged him with evidence tampering and alleged links with a Venezuelan street gang.
Trump’s complete clampdown on immigration policies comes after his second time in Office. After criminalising illegal immigration, the laws are also stringent for those who obstruct with these efforts.
