A Wisconsin Democratic judge has been arrested for allegedly hiding a violent undocumented migrant in a jury deliberation room to stop ICE from taking him into custody.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of obstructing the arrest of Eduardo Flores Ruiz, 30, on April 18.
Ruiz, who is from Mexico, had been charged with battery for allegedly punching someone 30 times in the face after they complained about his loud music.
When ICE agents showed up to arrest him, Dugan, the government claims, hid him.
She was taken into custody Friday at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
‘The FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week,’ FBI director Kash Patel said.
‘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.’
Patel added: ‘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.’
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Flores Ruiz for three charges of misdemeanor battery after his court appearance with Judge Dugan on April 18.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Judge Dugan has been accused of hiding the migrant and his attorney in a jury deliberation room.
Sources told the outlet that she in fact took him and his lawyer to a side door in the courtroom and directed them to a private hallway into the public area.
Chief Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley said in an email that ICE agents had been told to wait until Flores Ruiz’ hearing had ended.
Dugan has been the Milwaukee County Circuit Judge for nine years after taking office in 2016 and winning re-election in 2022.
Her current term is set to expire on August, 2028.
Her arrest just a day after former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were taken into custody on Thursday following a raid on their home in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The couple are facing charges of evidence tampering after they were allegedly caught harboring an illegal immigrant, named as suspected Venezuelan gang member Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, in their home.
Prosecutors say the alleged Venezuelan gangster had been living with the judge and his family and often posted images with them on his social media.
In shocking images that emerged this week, Ortega-Lopez was seen enjoying Christmas with the couple as the judge and his wife posed with firearms.
The arrest of Cano and his wife follows the detainment of Ortega-Lopez in February after a separate raid on the home, which led the judge to resign from his position.
According to authorities who raided Cano’s home on Thursday, investigators discovered evidence linking Ortega-Lopez to the Tren de Aragua gang.
This included text messages, images of tattoos and gang-related clothing.
Following Ortega-Lopez’s arrest, further investigations also reportedly led to the seizure of four firearms from the home of the judge’s daughter, April Cano.
Ortega-Lopez is facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted on federal charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors say Ortega-Lopez entered the United States illegally from Mexico in December 2023 and met Cano’s wife Nancy when he was hired to install a glass door for her.