Milwaukee Judge Convicted of Felony Obstruction for Impeding Immigration Arrest

2025-12-19 politics

Milwaukee, Friday, 19 December 2025.
A federal jury convicted Judge Hannah Dugan of felony obstruction for impeding ICE agents, a significant verdict challenging judicial boundaries regarding federal immigration enforcement within local courthouses.

A Split Verdict in Federal Court

On Thursday, December 18, 2025, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Wisconsin delivered a consequential verdict against Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, finding her guilty of felony obstruction of a federal proceeding [2][6]. The jury, comprised of seven men and five women, deliberated for approximately six hours before reaching a split decision [2][5]. While convicting Dugan on the felony count, jurors acquitted her of a separate misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual to prevent their arrest [5][6]. This verdict concludes a high-profile trial that began on December 11, 2025, and places a spotlight on the intensifying friction between local judicial discretion and federal immigration enforcement under the current administration [3][5].

The Incident: A Collision of State and Federal Power

The charges stem from an April 18, 2025, incident at the Milwaukee County Courthouse involving the attempted arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national appearing before Judge Dugan on state misdemeanor battery charges [1][2]. Federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had arrived at the courthouse to execute a warrant for Flores-Ruiz, who had previously been deported and illegally re-entered the U.S. in 2013 [2]. Prosecutors established that during the proceedings, Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a non-public door behind the bench, effectively allowing him to bypass the agents waiting in the public gallery [2][6]. Although Flores-Ruiz was ultimately arrested outside the courthouse and deported in November 2025, the government argued that Dugan’s intervention constituted a deliberate attempt to impede federal law enforcement [2][8].

Evidence and Arguments

During the trial, the prosecution presented audio evidence from the courtroom on the day of the incident, in which Dugan was recorded telling her court reporter, “I’ll get the heat,” while discussing how to assist Flores-Ruiz [6][8]. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Watzka characterized Dugan’s actions as a “round-up” of agents to create an “escape route,” arguing that “no judge may decide that her personal beliefs matter more than the law itself” [1][3]. Conversely, the defense team, led by attorney Jason Luczak, contended that the ICE presence was not routine and that courthouse policies regarding immigration enforcement were in a state of flux [1][6]. They argued Dugan acted not to conceal the defendant, but to manage a chaotic situation, noting that Flores-Ruiz eventually exited into a public hallway where agents could have acted [1][6]. FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Baker testified that Dugan appeared “angry” during the encounter, a sentiment prosecutors used to suggest intent [1][5].

Sentencing and Political Implications

The conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 [5]. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, who presided over the trial, has not yet set a sentencing date and explicitly instructed the jury not to consider potential punishment during their deliberations [4]. The verdict arrives against a backdrop of heightened enforcement; following President Trump’s inauguration for a second term, Milwaukee judges had observed an increase in immigration arrests within the courthouse [3]. Legal experts view this prosecution as a distinct message from the administration regarding judicial interference in deportation efforts [3]. Following the verdict, Interim U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel asserted that the case was not political but necessary to hold the judge accountable, while Dugan’s defense team vowed to challenge the conviction, stating their defense is “just beginning” [2][5].

Sources

Immigration Enforcement Judicial Obstruction