On an April morning at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, Judge Hannah C. Dugan’s sixth-floor courtroom was hosting its usual roster of misdemeanor cases. What happened next, however, quickly drew national attention.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, facing domestic battery charges, left the courtroom through a side door at the judge’s direction, according to witnesses. Federal agents pursuing him for immigration violations quickly apprehended him. This incident led the Department of Justice to charge Judge Dugan with obstructing a federal agency’s proceedings and concealing an individual to prevent arrest, alleging she instructed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to exit the courthouse in a way that might help him evade authorities.
Dugan, who denies wrongdoing, faces up to six years in prison if convicted. Her trial is scheduled to begin Monday at a federal courthouse in Milwaukee and is expected to last a week. The case has become a flashpoint amid broader debates over illegal immigration, with some viewing it as an overreach by the Trump administration and others as a failure to uphold judicial impartiality.
Legal experts say the prosecution will need to show that Dugan acted with intent to prevent federal officers from performing their duties. Federal agents described the judge as “visibly upset” and confrontational when learning that immigration authorities were in the courthouse. Arrests of this type are unusual in Wisconsin courts, and many local legal officials generally oppose them, arguing they can undermine public confidence.
The jury, selected from 12 counties, includes nine men and five women, with two alternates. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, a Clinton appointee, will preside. At least nine federal law enforcement officials are expected to testify, alongside local judges and prominent figures including former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a friend of Dugan.
Locals are divided on Dugan’s actions. Some say she overstepped her authority, while others view the charges as politically motivated. Protests in support of Dugan have taken place in downtown Milwaukee and are expected to continue during the trial.
The Trump administration has framed the case as a warning to judges who interfere with immigration enforcement. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that judges “are not above the law” and that violations would be prosecuted.
Judge Dugan, 66, was first elected in 2016 and ran unopposed for re-election in 2022, with her current term extending through 2028. A University of Wisconsin Law School graduate, she built her career representing low-income and marginalized clients, including stints at Legal Action of Wisconsin, Catholic Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin, and Legal Aid. She has been on administrative leave since April, continuing to receive her $174,000 salary, after being temporarily removed from the bench by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Flores-Ruiz later agreed to plead guilty to unlawful entry and was deported to Mexico in November.