Wisconsin Judge Convicted of Obstruction in Immigration Case, Acquitted on Concealment Charge

By Blessing Nweke

A federal jury on Thursday found a Wisconsin judge guilty of obstruction for helping a Mexican immigrant evade federal immigration authorities, a verdict that underscores the intensifying political and legal battles surrounding President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration crackdown.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was convicted of felony obstruction but acquitted of a misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual to prevent arrest. The jury reached its decision after about six hours of deliberations. Dugan now faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison on the obstruction count.

Dugan and her legal team left the courtroom immediately after the verdict, briefly entering a side conference room without commenting to reporters.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Dugan interfered with immigration agents who came to the Milwaukee County courthouse on April 18 to arrest 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national who authorities said had reentered the United States illegally. Flores-Ruiz was scheduled to appear before Dugan on a state battery charge.

According to court filings, including an FBI affidavit and a grand jury indictment, Dugan learned that immigration agents were waiting outside her courtroom with an administrative warrant. Prosecutors said she confronted the agents, incorrectly telling them the warrant was insufficient for an arrest and directing them to the chief judge’s office.

While the agents were diverted, Dugan addressed Flores-Ruiz’s case off the record, told his lawyer that future appearances could be made via Zoom and escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out of a private jury door. Agents later spotted Flores-Ruiz in the courthouse corridor, pursued him outside and arrested him after a brief foot chase. The Department of Homeland Security said he was deported in November.

During the trial, prosecutors presented testimony from an FBI agent who said Dugan intentionally created an opportunity for Flores-Ruiz to escape. Jurors also heard audio recordings in which Dugan told her court reporter she would “take the heat” for leading him out the back.

Dugan’s attorneys argued she was following courthouse protocols requiring staff to notify supervisors about the presence of immigration agents and denied she intended to obstruct the arrest. Democrats have criticized the case as an effort by the Trump administration to make an example of a judge, while the administration hailed the verdict as a reaffirmation of federal authority.