This rare situation, with a judge facing arrest, underscores heightened tensions over President Donald Trump’s enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
A Wisconsin judge was arrested on accusations that she took extraordinary—and allegedly illegal—steps to thwart police from taking into custody a past deportee who is now accused of domestic violence.
The arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan represents a dramatic escalation of tension between some judges and President Donald Trump’s administration over the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
Here’s what we know so far about this rare instance of a judge being taken into custody.
What Happened
The case came to light on April 25 after FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi each released statements confirming that Dugan had been arrested.
“No one is above the law,” Bondi said in her statement.
Brady McCarron, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service, told The Epoch Times that Dugan was being investigated by the FBI before her arrest.
She was taken into custody on the grounds of the courthouse where she hears cases, the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
Shortly after her arrest, Dugan appeared in Milwaukee’s federal court to face a count of “obstructing or impeding a proceeding before a department or agency.”
She is also accused of “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.”
Outside the federal court, dozens of protesters rallied on behalf of the accused judge.
During the hearing, her lawyer, Craig Mastantuono, said: “Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety.”
When Patel announced Dugan’s arrest, he said the charges stemmed from her alleged actions in a case last week.
The FBI director said investigators believe Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents” away from Eduardo Flores Ruiz, as officers were preparing to arrest him in her courthouse.
Patel opined that Dugan’s alleged protection of the illegal immigrant posed “increased danger to the public.”
What Preceded the Arrest?
Additional details are contained in an affidavit filed in federal court.
In her sworn statement, FBI Special Agent Lindsay Schloemer outlined events leading to Dugan’s arrest and laid out the allegations against the judge.
