Milwaukee judge not immune from charges after allegedly helping illegal immigrant evade ICE, prosecutors say
Share this @internewscast.com

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Federal prosecutors are opposing Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan’s effort to have an indictment against her dismissed. The indictment accuses her of allegedly assisting an illegal immigrant in avoiding capture by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers within the Milwaukee County Courthouse last month.

Judge Dugan, aged 65, faced an indictment last month on federal charges for obstructing proceedings that were before a U.S. agency, alongside charges of unlawfully hiding an individual who was subject to arrest.

According to court documents submitted in late May, her defense team argues that she deserves judicial immunity and claims that the federal government exceeded its jurisdiction by arresting and charging her, thus infringing on her 10th Amendment rights and breaching the principle of separation of powers.

On Wednesday, prosecutors filed a response to her motion to dismiss, noting that “the Supreme Court has made clear that judges are not immune from criminal liability.”

Judge Hannah Dugan appears to speak with ICE agents in the Milwaukee County Courthouse

Judge Hannah Dugan allegedly told agents that they needed a judicial warrant and told them to go to the Chief Judge’s Office. (Milwaukee County)

Prosecutors say evidence also shows Dugan directing agents to the chief judge’s office even while knowing he was out, then she “quickly returned to her courtroom and, among other things, directed [Florez-Ruiz’s] attorney to ‘take your client out and come back and get a date; and then to go through the jury door and down the stairs’ before physically escorting [Flroes-Ruiz] and his attorney into a non-public hallway with access to a stairwell that led to a courthouse exit,” filings say.

Dugan “did this all just days after thanking a colleague for providing information which explained that ICE could lawfully make arrests in the courthouse hall,” prosecutors stated Wednesday.

Judge Hannah Dugan in courthouse

The surveillance footage released by Milwaukee County appears to show Judge Hannah Dugan, wearing her black robes, confronting ICE agents in the courthouse hallway. (Milwaukee County)

“Put simply, nothing in the indictment or the anticipated evidence at trial supports Dugan’s assertion that agents ‘disrupted’ the court’s docket; instead, all events arose from Dugan’s unilateral, non-judicial, and unofficial actions in obstructing a federal immigration matter over which she, as a Wisconsin state judge, had no authority,” the document reads. “At the very least, for purposes of deciding this motion, Dugan’s claims to the contrary find no support in the indictment and should be rejected.”

One of Dugan’s defense attorneys, Dean Strang, told Fox News Digital that her counsel has a “good reply” to prosecutors’ Wednesday filing, but her team is waiting until their reply brief, due next Monday, to make it.

The Milwaukee judge has pleaded not guilty to charges filed against her, and a federal judge has set her trial date for July 21.

Judge Hannah Dugan arrested

The FBI is seen arresting Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan on April 25. (Obtained by Fox News)

A federal indictment accuses Dugan of “falsely” telling federal officials in April that they needed a warrant to come into her courtroom during a scheduled appearance by Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican national facing three misdemeanor battery charges.

Video footage appears to show Flores-Ruiz exiting the courthouse with his attorney, while an ICE agent follows him, and then running alongside the building for about a block before agents capture and arrest him.

Federal officials arrested Dugan a week after the courthouse incident.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan leaves the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse on May 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Judge Hannah Dugan appeared in federal court to answer charges that she helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant, elude federal arrest while he was making an appearance in her courtroom on April 18. (Scott Olson)

Dugan could face a maximum sentence of six years. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against her. Fox News Digital has reached out to her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, for comment on the footage.

In April, Dugan’s legal team also filed a motion to dismiss the federal case against her, saying the judge “is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts.”

“Immunity is not a defense to the prosecution to be determined later by a jury or court; it is an absolute bar to the prosecution at the outset,” the motion said.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
California police make gruesome feline discovery in U-Haul van; owner faces animal cruelty charges

California Police Discover Disturbing Scene in U-Haul: Owner Charged with Animal Cruelty

A woman is facing 93 charges of animal cruelty after police in…
American tourist vanishes in tropical paradise after early morning walk from vacation rental

American Tourist Disappears During Early Morning Walk in Tropical Paradise

A man from Monroe, New York, who was vacationing in Turks and…
Florida cooperation with immigration enforcement sparks fears people will disappear into jails

Concerns Arise as Florida’s Collaboration with Immigration Enforcement Raises Jail Disappearance Fears

(MIAMI (AP) — As Florida law enforcement agencies cooperate with federal immigration…
Daughter of assassinated civil rights leader sees painful echoes of political violence in America

Daughter of Slain Civil Rights Leader Recognizes Troubling Patterns of Political Violence in the US

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Over six decades have passed since a white…
Snake on a plane delays flight for 2 hours

Snake Causes Two-Hour Flight Delay

The snake turned out to be a harmless green tree snake, but…
Chicago Pizza Pass deal launches with 25 restaurants, including Lou Malnati's, Giordano's, Pizano's participating

“Chicago Pizza Pass Debuts with 25 Restaurants, Featuring Favorites Like Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, and Pizano’s”

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Pizza Pass deal is now off and…
Judge blocks Trump's asylum access suspension at border

Court Halts Trump’s Suspension of Asylum Access at Border

Wednesday’s decision could throw into doubt one of the key pillars of…
Chicago traffic: 4th of July travelers to hit airports, roads Wednesday

Chicago Travel Alert: July 4th Holiday to Bring Crowds to Airports and Highways on Wednesday

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago airports were crowded Wednesday morning as people get…
Juliana Marins smiling in front of a hillside.

‘I’m Not Scared’: Heartbreaking Last Message from 26-Year-Old Backpacker Who Fell into Volcano Crater During Hike

TRAGIC backpacker Juliana Marins told her family “I’m not afraid” in a…
People who go to bed at this time get the most exercise

Individuals who sleep at this hour are more active

The early bird gets the workout. It’s bad enough that night owls…

Historic Footage of Notorious ‘Mosul Orb’ UFO Released as US Spy Cameras Capture Enigmatic Object Hovering Over Iraq

THE first ever bombshell footage of the infamous “Mosul orb” UFO captured…
Here's how millions of people could lose health insurance if Trump's tax bill becomes law

Why Trump’s Tax Bill Could Cause Millions to Lose Health Insurance

WASHINGTON (AP) — Approximately 11.8 million adults and children could lose their…