In a case that has stirred strong debate about law, order, and the role of the judiciary in immigration enforcement, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan has been found guilty of felony obstruction by a federal jury. The verdict, delivered after six hours of deliberation, marks the stunning downfall of a sitting judge who now faces up to five years in prison and an end to her judicial career under Wisconsin law.
At the heart of the case was Dugan’s decision on April 18 to help an illegal immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, evade arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. According to prosecutors, after learning that ICE officers were waiting in the courthouse to serve a warrant, Dugan ushered Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a back exit, avoiding the federal agents stationed nearby.
The case, while narrow in its legal scope, became a symbol in the broader clash between local resistance to federal immigration policy and the rule of law.
Dugan’s defense acknowledged the facts but attempted to frame her actions within the boundaries of professional discretion and concern for due process. But as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche put it in a statement following the verdict, “Dugan betrayed her oath and the people she served.”
“This Department will not tolerate obstruction, will enforce federal immigration law, and will hold criminals to account — even those who wear robes.”
The case was never framed by prosecutors as an ideological attack, and Interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel made a point to underscore that:
“She is certainly not evil nor is she a martyr for some greater cause… but we all must accept the verdict peacefully.”
Still, the implications of that verdict are anything but quiet.
With this conviction, Dugan becomes one of the very few sitting judges in U.S. history convicted of a federal crime for interfering with law enforcement. Her conviction automatically renders her ineligible to hold public office in Wisconsin, regardless of the outcome of the appeal her defense has vowed to pursue.
It’s worth noting that while Dugan was found guilty of obstruction, she was acquitted of a separate misdemeanor charge for concealing an individual to prevent arrest. Her legal team quickly seized on that partial acquittal, issuing a statement that they remain “disappointed” but are far from done:
“This trial required considerable resources to prepare for and public support for Judge Dugan’s defense fund is critical as we prepare for the next phase of this defense.”
That “next phase” is expected to be a lengthy appeals process, but the damage is already done. The Wisconsin State Supreme Court had suspended her with pay following her arrest, but with the conviction now official, her status is in flux. At $175,000 a year, she has continued to collect taxpayer-funded salary pending the outcome of her case. That will likely change.
Dugan may not have been attempting to rewrite immigration policy from the bench, but her actions that day clearly crossed a line. The jury saw it. The Department of Justice saw it. And now, so must the public.
