Trump Administration Arrests Milwaukee Judge for Helping Defendant Evade Immigration Authorities

In the latest clash between the Trump administration and the judiciary—Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has been arrested by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for accusations of helping a man evade immigration authorities.

This all went down on Friday April 25^th after allegations that the judge directed an undocumented immigrant and his lawyer to exit her courtroom through a side door after learning that federal immigration agents were waiting in the hallway to arrest him.

Upon being spotted by agents outside the courthouse, the man was pursued on foot and was ultimately taken into custody.

These actions have prompted a showdown over allegations of obstruction of justice amid Trump’s immigration crackdowns. The U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi has accused the judge of interfering with the government’s enforcement priorities claiming the arrest sends a “strong message” to judges that they will be prosecuted if they “escort a criminal defendant out a back door.”

The circumstances surrounding the judge’s arrest remain unclear. What is known is that six federal officers descended upon the Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national attending a court hearing to respond to battery charges in connection with a criminal complaint filed by his roommate.

Before the hearing began, Flores’ lawyer told the judge that agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were outside her courtroom waiting for the defendant. The judge then left the bench and spoke with the federal agents informing them that they needed a judicial warrant to detain the defendant in the courthouse. The officers then spoke with a Chief Judge who said that hallways were permissible areas where arrests could be made.

A courtroom deputy alleges that while Flores and his lawyer were leaving the courtroom, Judge Dugan directed them through a side door leading to a nonpublic area of the courthouse. They were later observed leaving the building by the FBI agents.

A week after the incident, agents arrested Judge Dugan at the courthouse for obstructing immigration officers and concealing someone to prevent an arrest.

This case raises concerns about how federal authorities plan to conduct arrests at courthouses across the country. The incident will also make undocumented immigrants afraid to attend court hearings for fear of deportation. What is certain is that such actions will discourage judges from acting in any way that could be perceived as aiding an individual against being arrested by immigration authorities.

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