Federal authorities reportedly arrested a Wisconsin judge over claims that she helped an undocumented migrant avoid arrest after appearing in her courtroom.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested around 8 a.m. Friday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, citing confirmation from the U.S. Marshall’s Service.
The Journal Sentinel reported that Flores Ruiz, a Mexican national, was arrested last week after being due in Dugan’s courtroom on three misdemeanor counts of battery relating to a fight with roommates.
When ICE officials appeared at the courthouse on April 18, they presented a warrant, but when Dugan left to speak to the officers she directed Flores Ruiz and his attorney “to a side door in the courtroom, directed them down a private hallway and into the public area on the 6th floor” where her courtroom is located.
In a since-deleted post on social media, FBI Director Kash Patel said Dugan was arrested on charges of obstruction.
“Just NOW, 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,” Patel wrote.
“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.”
“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,” he wrote.
It is unclear why Patel deleted the tweet but CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem, suggested that the wording of the statement may have been an issue.
“Kash Patel’s announcement about the arrest of a judge has been deleted, possibly because it included the line “we believe” rather than “we found/proved,” Kayyem wrote.
