FBI arrests Wisconsin Judge Dugan for obstruction, escalates Trump immigration enforcement effort
Last edited Fri Apr 25, 2025, 12:22 PM - Edit history (3)
Source: CNBC
Published Fri, Apr 25 2025 10:37 AM EDT Updated 4 Min Ago
Federal agents arrested a Wisconsin judge on Friday after she allegedly helped an undocumented immigrant evade arrest, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Patel announced in an X post that Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has been charged with obstruction for allegedly assisting Eduardo Flores Ruiz in avoiding arrest after he appeared in her courtroom last week.
A U.S. Marshals Service spokeswoman confirmed to CNBC that Dugan was arrested at about 8:30 a.m. local time on courthouse property. Dugan is in custody pending her planned presentment later Friday in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee on the obstruction charge, a senior law enforcement official told NBC News.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Carl Ashley told NBC that the judicial code of conduct restricts him from commenting on the matter, but said Dugans court calendar will be covered by another judge as needed.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/25/fbi-arrest-judge-hannah-dugan-milwaukee.html
Article updated.
Previous article/headline -
Published Fri, Apr 25 2025 10:37 AM EDT Updated 14 Min Ago
Federal agents on Friday arrested a judge in Wisconsin on obstruction charges after she allegedly helped an undocumented immigrant evade arrest, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Patel made the announcement in an X post, which was quickly deleted. The FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment on why the post was removed.
Patel wrote that the FBI believes Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan "intentionally misdirected federal agents away" from Eduardo Flores Ruiz as agents were attempting to arrest him at her courthouse last week.
"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 said in the post.
Original article -
Patel wrote on X that the FBI believes Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan "intentionally misdirected federal agents away" from Eduardo Flores Ruiz as agents were attempting to arrest him at her courthouse.
"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.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

2naSalit
(96,632 posts)
BumRushDaShow
(151,663 posts)It didn't even look like it had posted at all.
Will update because CNBC changes a lot like AP.
mahina
(19,721 posts)Thank you for all you do for us BRDS. Aloha
BumRushDaShow
(151,663 posts)I was banging my mouse platform in frustration because I thought this didn't post as I couldn't find the thread showing up and the tab with the post had jumped to the end of the row (an apparent Firefox bug), where the form was displaying as blank.
Must be a New Moon coming up.
discntnt_irny_srcsm
(18,645 posts)him and his room temperature IQ.
BumRushDaShow
(151,663 posts)to help you form a "smiley face" this morning, but they might not have been aligned just right... so...
mimitabby
(1,944 posts)republianmushroom
(19,690 posts)For Allegedly Helping Immigrant 'Evade Arrest'
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/fbi-director-deletes-tweet-announcing-arrest-of-judge-for-allegedly-helping-immigrant-evade-arrest/
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220268444
LymphocyteLover
(7,896 posts)Hopefully their incompetence leads to their downfall
moonshinegnomie
(3,330 posts)if they had a valid warrant and she helped him escape it a legit arrest. if not then arrest everyone from the FBI involved starting with patel
somsai
(100 posts)administrative is good for public spaces, judicial allows entry to privates space. The guy had beaten his roomates bad enough the day before to put them in the hospital, big guy. Warrants were for previous removal orders in 13 I think. There are many witnesses, deputies, other lawyers, probably video, I doubt the facts will be disputed.
mtngirl47
(1,157 posts)Defy the king you created and face your own arrest
Ponietz
(3,600 posts)Cano, the judge, had already resigned and was permanently barred by the NM Supreme Court.
https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/new-mexico-judges-wife-in-ice-custody-following-alleged-tren-de-aragua-member-investigation]
Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were taken into custody at a home on North Reymond Street in Las Cruces, Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, said.
OldBaldy1701E
(7,759 posts)
Nothing to see here... move along citizen...
SpankMe
(3,443 posts)no_hypocrisy
(51,363 posts)Dyedinthewoolliberal
(16,081 posts)Where the undocumented person is referred to as a 'perp'.
BumRushDaShow
(151,663 posts)(from their perspective, despite the fact that many of these people were going through the process and are not "criminals" )
Response to BumRushDaShow (Reply #17)
Mosby This message was self-deleted by its author.
Response to BumRushDaShow (Original post)
orangecrush This message was self-deleted by its author.
Nigrum Cattus
(494 posts)Not guilty !
Same for Luigi
EX500rider
(11,778 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(162,388 posts)The Republican offensive against the judiciary has been unsubtle, but the Trump administration hadnt arrested a sitting judge until now.
https://bsky.app/profile/elizabeth11432.bsky.social/post/3lno5vyphck2c
The Republican offensive against the judiciary has been unsubtle, but the Trump administration hadnt arrested a sitting judge until now.
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fbi-arrests-judge-wisconsin-ag-pam-bondi-directs-new-threats-judiciary-rcna203061
But the Trump administration hadnt gone so far as to actually arrest a sitting judge until now. NBC News reported:
.....Shortly after Dugan was taken into custody, Kash Patel, Trumps highly controversial FBI director, published a tweet that effectively spiked the football. We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject an illegal alien to evade arrest, he wrote in a missive that was deleted a short time later. Thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and hes been in custody since, but the Judges obstruction created increased danger to the public.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin didnt quite see it that way.
In the United States, we have a system of checks and balances and separations of power for damn good reasons, the senator said in a statement. The presidents administration arresting a sitting judge is a gravely serious and drastic move, and it threatens to breach those very separations of power. Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country, and we are a democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by. By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this president is putting those basic Democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line."
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3lnnprevixu2y
Link to tweet
[Judges] are deranged, is all I can think of, Bondi said during her 18th appearance on Fox this year. I think some of these judges think that they are beyond and above the law, and they are not. And were sending a very strong message today: If you are harboring a fugitive, we dont care who you are. ... We will come after you and we will prosecute you. We will find you......
Through her legal counsel, Dugan issued a statement Friday afternoon that read, Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge. She has retained former United States Attorney Steven Biskupic to represent her. Judge Dugan will defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated. This will be the extent of any statements or interviews at this time.