JUDGE DREAD: Wisconsin judge is arrested after allegedly helping illegal immigrant 'escape'

Milwaukee: The FBI has arrested a Wisconsin judge for allegedly obstructing a federal immigration operation, according to a since-deleted post by FBI Director Kash Patel on X.

On Friday morning, Patel wrote a statement claiming that Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on obstruction charges after she allegedly misdirected federal agents during an immigration arrest attempt. According to Patel, Dugan intentionally diverted officers away from Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant facing misdemeanor battery charges, allowing him to briefly evade capture before being apprehended.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Flores-Ruiz was in Dugan’s courtroom on April 18 when ICE agents arrived. Sources say Dugan directed him and his attorney to a side exit, enabling his escape through a private hallway. Federal agents later caught Flores-Ruiz, but officials argue the judge’s actions endangered public safety.

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The arrest follows a January Justice Department memo from Emil Bove, now principal associate deputy attorney general, urging prosecutors to pursue cases against local officials who interfere with immigration enforcement. The memo cites federal laws prohibiting obstruction of lawful immigration actions, including statutes criminalizing resistance to federal authority.

Dugan, 65, faces two felony obstruction charges and appeared in federal court Friday. A US Marshals Service spokesman confirmed her arrest at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

White House spokesman Kush Desai stated, “The days of aiding illegal aliens invading our country are over. This administration will enforce the law without exception.”