In two separate arrests announced on Friday, federal authorities took into custody a sitting judge and a former judge for allegedly helping undocumented immigrants whom officials describe as violent criminals. The development has triggered concerns among some Democrats and others in the public sphere.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI on Friday for allegedly assisting an undocumented immigrant in evading federal apprehension last week. This occurred just hours after agents arrested former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, accusing them of providing shelter to a Venezuelan national purportedly linked to a gang, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Speaking with Kyra Phillips of ABC News Live on Friday, Bondi refuted accusations that the Trump administration was exerting undue pressure on judges who oppose tougher measures against undocumented immigrants.
“Nobody is above the law, not even a judge,” Bondi told Phillips.
Arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan
FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed Judge Dugan’s arrest earlier on Friday through a social media statement, which was briefly removed and reposted.
“Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week,” Patel wrote. “We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest.”
Judge Dugan faces two federal charges: obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a U.S. government agency and concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest, according to an unsealed criminal complaint.
Court records show the undocumented immigrant in the Milwaukee case, identified as Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, had a scheduled court appearance on April 18 before Judge Dugan in a pending case. He faces three misdemeanor counts of battery/domestic abuse stemming from a March 12 incident. The matter remains open.
Prosecutors allege Flores-Ruiz entered the United States unlawfully from Mexico and received an Expedited Removal order in January 2013. Bondi further claims Flores-Ruiz assaulted his roommate and a woman severely enough that they required hospitalization, and that he continued behaving belligerently even while hospitalized.
According to the complaint, Judge Dugan discovered federal immigration officers were in court to arrest Flores-Ruiz and allegedly assisted him in avoiding them. Witnesses reported that she appeared visibly upset and called the situation “absurd” before leaving the bench and heading to her chambers.
She then allegedly confronted the ICE task force officers in a hallway, questioning whether they held a judicial warrant. After learning they carried only an administrative warrant, the complaint states, she returned to her courtroom, spoke with Flores-Ruiz and his attorney, and then led them through a private exit known as the “jury door.”
“So she continues with her docket,” Bondi told Phillips. “Two victims are in court all morning, waiting. In the end, prosecutors say, ‘What happened? Why wasn’t the case called?’”
The complaint notes that after departing the courtroom, Flores-Ruiz was spotted by federal agents in the public hallway and attempted to flee. He was eventually apprehended outside the courthouse.
Judge Dugan was arrested at the courthouse on Friday morning, authorities confirmed. She appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on two charges and was released on her own recognizance without entering a plea.
Dugan hired former U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic as her defense counsel. In a statement, Biskupic said she would “defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated.” He praised her dedication to “the rule of law and principles of due process” throughout her career.
If found guilty, Judge Dugan faces up to six years in prison. Bondi acknowledged Dugan’s right to due process but highlighted the alleged harm to the victims, stating:
“They didn’t get their day in court because she let a criminal defendant walk out. She obstructed justice,” Bondi said.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson expressed anger at the circumstances of Dugan’s arrest, calling the federal operation “showboating.” He also suggested Dugan was not a flight risk.
“They’re displaying a show of force in a place where people need to attend court proceedings,” Johnson said. “They’re scaring people away from the justice system.”
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers criticized what he sees as attempts from the Trump White House “to attack and undermine our judiciary,” though he did not name Dugan specifically. Evers reiterated his trust in the judicial system as this case unfolds.
When asked by Kyra Phillips if these actions might intimidate participants in the legal process, Bondi sidestepped the question, simply stating:
“We’re attempting to protect citizens, make America safe again.”
Former Judge Joel Cano’s Case in New Mexico
Bondi referenced a separate incident in which former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano faces a tampering with evidence charge. Investigators allege the Canos housed a Venezuelan national tied to the Tren de Aragua gang.
Court documents indicate that on February 28, law enforcement detained this alleged gang member at the Canos’ residence. Then on April 24, agents served a search warrant and interviewed Cano, who reportedly admitted to using a hammer to destroy the suspect’s cell phone because he believed it contained incriminating images of the individual wielding firearms.
Cano and his wife have not yet entered any pleas, according to court records, and no defense attorneys are currently listed for them.
Bondi stressed that in both Dugan’s and Cano’s cases, the undocumented immigrants in question were reportedly violent individuals.
Asked whether the federal government is specifically targeting judges, Bondi emphasized the seriousness of the offenses:
“These are people who must be apprehended and removed from our country. It doesn’t matter who you are—no one can harbor them, not even a judge,” she said.
In pressing Bondi on how far these efforts would extend, Phillips asked if mayors and governors might also be targeted for aiding undocumented immigrants. Bondi again avoided a direct answer, reiterating the administration’s overarching aim:
“I would hope a mayor or a governor would never harbor anyone,” she stated. “Our priority is keeping people safe.”