Federal Case Against Milwaukee Judge Accused Of Concealing Illegal Migrant Should Continue, Judge Recommends

The lawsuit against a Milwaukee County judge accused of shielding an illegal migrant from deportation officers will proceed, a national magistrate judge recommended connected Monday.

Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of knowingly helping nan migrant exit a courtroom done a backmost door, which was not accessible to nan public, successful bid for him to evade ICE authorities and telling nan officers successful her tribunal that they needed a warrant to make nan arrest. 

Dugan had revenge a mobility successful May to disregard nan charges against her, saying she was acting successful her charismatic capacity arsenic a judge and truthful is immune to prosecution. She based on that nan national authorities violated Wisconsin’s sovereignty by disrupting a authorities courtroom and prosecuting a authorities judge.

MILWAUKEE JUDGE NOT IMMUNE FROM CHARGES AFTER ALLEGEDLY HELPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT EVADE ICE, PROSECUTORS SAY

U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph connected Monday recommended against dropping nan charges. The eventual determination is up to U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, who tin judge nan different judge’s proposal aliases cull it. 

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan leaves a national courthouse aft a proceeding connected May 15, 2025, successful Milwaukee. Dugan allegedly helped an forbidden migrant evade ICE done a courthouse backmost door. The lawsuit against her will spell up arsenic planned. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File)

"A judge’s actions, moreover erstwhile done successful her charismatic capacity, does not barroom criminal prosecution if nan actions were done successful usurpation of nan criminal law," Joseph wrote.

Dugan is charged pinch obstruction of justness and concealing a personification to forestall arrests. She faces up to six years successful situation and a $350,000 good if convicted connected some counts. She has already pleaded not guilty. 

Joseph wrote successful her proposal that while judges person immunity from civilian lawsuits seeking monetary damages erstwhile engaging successful judicial acts, that does not use to criminal charges for illustration those successful this case.

Dugan besides based on that nan prosecution nether national rule violated nan U.S. Constitution's separation of powers because it overrides nan authorities of Wisconsin’s expertise to administer its courts.

But Joseph said questions astir her acting successful her charismatic capacity and whether Dugan’s behaviour was criminal aliases wrong her judicial discretion – must beryllium resolved astatine trial, not successful a mobility to dismiss.

The surveillance footage released by Milwaukee County appears to show Dugan, wearing her achromatic robes, confronting ICE agents successful nan courthouse hallway. (Milwaukee County)

NEW FOOTAGE SHOWS MILWAUKEE JUDGE CONFRONTING ICE BEFORE ALLEGEDLY HELPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT EXIT

Dugan lawyer Steven Biskupic said his squad was disappointed successful nan proposal and that they would entreaty it. "This is only 1 measurement successful what we expect will beryllium a agelong travel to sphere nan independency and integrity of our courts," Biskupic said. 

Dugan was arrested by FBI officials successful April arsenic national agents from ICE, FBI, CBP and DEA attempted to apprehension forbidden migrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, aft his scheduled criminal tribunal quality earlier Dugan to look 3 misdemeanor artillery charges for allegedly beating up 2 people.

She demanded that nan officers proceed to nan main judge’s agency and, aft his proceeding ended, escorted Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer retired a restricted assemblage door, bypassing nan nationalist area wherever agents were waiting, successful bid to thief him debar arrest, per a criminal complaint.

Officials said they recovered probable origin that he was removable nether U.S. migration law, fixed he was antecedently deported and ne'er sought aliases obtained support to re-enter nan country. When agents identified themselves to him extracurricular nan tribunal connected April 18, he fled nan segment connected ft but was arrested aft a short chase, according to nan complaint.

Attorney General Pam Bondi antecedently said Flores-Ruiz had beaten up 2 people, "a feline and a girl."

Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan (DHS/Milwaukee Independent via AP)

"[He] hit nan guy, deed nan feline 30 times, knocked him to nan ground, choked him, hit up a female truthful badly, they some had to spell to nan hospital."

Dugan has worked pinch ineligible assistance organizations and as executive head of Catholic Charities successful nan past. She was elected to Branch 31 of nan Circuit Court successful 2016 and ran unopposed successful nan 2022 election. She chiefly oversees cases successful its misdemeanor division, according to nan Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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Her actions, while controversial, person besides attracted an all-star ineligible defense squad to reason successful tribunal connected her behalf. 

As good arsenic Biskupic, her defense squad has tapped erstwhile Bush-era solicitor wide Paul Clement to correspond her.

Judge Hannah Dugan walks into a Milwaukee national courthouse connected May 15, 2025. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Clement, who was besides connected Trump's short database of Supreme Court nominees during his first term, is simply a well-respected litigator who has based on much than 100 cases earlier nan Supreme Court. 

Fox News’ Jake Gibson, Louis Casiano and Greg Wehner arsenic good arsenic The Associated Press contributed to this report.