Former Wisconsin judge spared prison for obstructing ICE arrest, fined $5,000
Hannah Dugan, a former Milwaukee County judge, was fined $5,000 on Wednesday but will not serve prison time for helping a Mexican defendant evade federal agents in her courtroom.
Sentencing
Former Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 and spared prison on Wednesday for obstructing a federal immigration arrest. US District Judge Lynn Adelman imposed the sentence, saying prison was not necessary for someone who had dedicated her life to public service. Dugan faced up to five years in prison after a jury convicted her in December of obstructing a criminal proceeding, though she was acquitted of concealing a person from arrest.
This is a few minutes of conduct for someone who has dedicated her life to public service. It's a marked deviation from an otherwise law-abiding life.
The courtroom incident
On 18 April 2025, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national facing misdemeanour battery charges, appeared in Dugan's Milwaukee courtroom. Six officers from the FBI, ICE and the Drug Enforcement Administration were present to arrest him. According to an FBI affidavit, Dugan became visibly angry over the type of arrest warrant and then ushered Flores-Ruiz out through a side door, allowing him to evade the agents temporarily. She was arrested later that month and resigned in January 2026 amid impeachment threats from Republican state lawmakers.
- Dugan ushers Eduardo Flores-Ruiz out of courtroom to evade ICE agents.
- Dugan arrested and charged with obstruction.
- Convicted of obstruction, acquitted of concealing a person from arrest.
- Resigns from Milwaukee County Circuit Court amid impeachment threats.
- Sentenced to $5,000 fine, no prison time.
Political reactions
The case became a flashpoint in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement strategy. Republican US Representative Tom Tiffany, a Trump loyalist running for governor, posted on social media that Dugan should be locked up. Dugan's lawyers argued the prosecution was an effort to crush her and ensure judicial compliance with ICE tactics of targeting immigrants at court hearings. In her resignation letter, Dugan said the case threatened the independence of the judiciary.
Dugan's defence
Two Marquette University law professors spoke on Dugan's behalf at sentencing, including a former state supreme court justice and a Jesuit priest, Gregory O'Meara. O'Meara described Dugan as a defender of oppressed people and said he saw no need for punishment.
Hannah models what it means to be a Christian.
Dugan herself addressed the court, saying her actions were meant to maintain courtroom decorum and safety, not to defy the law.
I have been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither. I am a public servant who was just trying to do my job.
A prosecutor acknowledged the collateral damage Dugan had suffered but said judges cannot choose to disregard the law. Dugan's lawyers said they would appeal the conviction.
