Madison, Wisconsin — Federal prosecutors on Monday began presenting their case against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who faces up to six years in prison if convicted of obstruction and concealment charges tied to an alleged effort to help a Mexican immigrant evade federal arrest.
The trial centers on events from April 18, when immigration agents arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who had been charged the previous month with battery. According to an FBI affidavit, agents were instructed by Dugan’s courtroom deputy to wait until after the hearing. Prosecutors allege that once Dugan learned agents were waiting nearby, she confronted them, sent them to consult the chief judge, and then escorted Flores-Ruiz out of the courtroom through a back jury door leading to a public corridor.
Agents later arrested Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse after a brief foot chase. He was subsequently deported after pleading no contest to the battery charge and being sentenced to time served. Prosecutors say Dugan’s actions were intended to interfere with a lawful arrest, while her defense argues she was following courthouse protocols governing immigration enforcement in nonpublic areas.
The prosecution plans to call roughly two dozen witnesses through at least Thursday. Dugan has argued she is immune from prosecution because she acted in her official capacity, but U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman rejected that claim, ruling there is no established judicial immunity from criminal charges. The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan shortly after charges were filed.
The case has sparked sharp political reactions. Trump administration officials have labeled Dugan an activist judge, while Democrats argue the prosecution is meant to intimidate the judiciary amid the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
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