Milwaukee Judge Arrested for Aiding an Illegal Alien to Escape

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oldman

oldman

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Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI on Friday, April 25, 2025, on obstruction charges. The arrest stems from allegations that she intentionally misdirected federal agents, preventing the detention of an undocumented immigrant who appeared in her court. The New York Times reports that the judge allegedly helped Eduardo Flores Ruiz, who had been pursued by ICE agents after a court appearance, evade initial detention. While Ruiz was later apprehended, the judge's actions are said to have increased public safety risks.
 

This doesn’t have an easy answer for me.

I live in what is called a sanctuary city, meaning that local government agencies look past the idea of legal status in an effort to encourage everyone to work and live within the system.

If people fear the government they will not attend court proceedings, report criminal activity, seek medical care, etc…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of securing our borders, removing criminals from society, etc… but I’m also in favor of creating a fairly fast and easy pathway to citizenship for anyone currently living in the United States.
 
Aunt Bea said:
This doesn’t have an easy answer for me.

I live in what is called a sanctuary city, meaning that local government agencies look past the idea of legal status in an effort to encourage everyone to work and live within the system.

If people fear the government they will not attend court proceedings, report criminal activity, seek medical care, etc…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of securing our borders, removing criminals from society, etc… but I’m also in favor of creating a fairly fast and easy pathway to citizenship for anyone currently living in the United States.
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Sorry AB, but this "for anyone currently living in the United States." is just too broad a brush for me.

How did they get here ? and how is it that they [are] living here ?
 
rgp said:
Sorry AB, but this "for anyone currently living in the United States." is just too broad a brush for me.

How did they get here ? and how is it that they [are] living here ?
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Nothing wrong with a bit of disagreement.

IMO we failed to keep them out and that’s on us.

Now we’ve come to rely on them and should find a way to assimilate them.

It doesn’t really matter to me who pays into social security or who is working to make our lives more comfortable.

In my entire life it has never occurred to me to question my neighbors citizenship.
 
Despite her obvious empathy for the man, she must've known that she was throwing away her career when she did that. If not, she "doesn't have the sense God gave turnip greens" (heard that one decades ago on All My Children). Or maybe all these deportations, which are not being handled properly, just got the best of her.
 
Warrigal said:
I have read that she did not help him to evade the men waiting to arrest him. All she did was allow him to leave by a different door that led to the same foyer as the other one.

I intuit that she did not want a scene in front of TV cameras in her court.
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she led him and his lawyer thru a jury room that was a NON public place to and outside door... not just out to same hall.

The reality is many here for long term has not done any paperwork or things needed to apply for legal status.
Many paid 15K and up to be smuggled here why not spend that with a immigration lawyer to get here legally.....because they did NOT want to wait in line.
 
Jeni said:
she led him and his lawyer thru a jury room that was a NON public place to and outside door... not just out to same hall.

The reality is many here for long term has not done any paperwork or things needed to apply for legal status.
Many paid 15K and up to be smuggled here why not spend that with a immigration lawyer to get here legally.....because they did NOT want to wait in line.
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According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the man was arrested on the 6th floor. He did not escape to the outside of the building.

What happened in Hannah Dugan's courtroom with the undocumented immigrant?​

On April 18, Immigrants and Customs Enforcement agents arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse with an arrest agent for an individual, according to an email Chief Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley sent to judges that same day.

Ashley's email did not mention Dugan or the defendant by name. However, he said the ICE agents went to the sixth floor, which is where Dugan's courtroom is located. Ashley said the agents presented a warrant, but Dugan responded to the email saying, "a warrant was not presented in the hallway on the 6th floor."

When ICE officials left to meet with the chief judge, Dugan reportedly took the defendant to a side door in the courtroom and directed them down a private hallway and into the public area on the 6th floor, sources told the Journal Sentinel.

The Journal Sentinel spoke with five legal experts earlier about the case. None thought Dugan's actions constituted a federal crime.
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strange ; unusual and perhaps unbecoming behavior for a court judge though - couldn't any other official in the court room have done that? if Dugan ? you can?
 
Apparently this judge was supposede to preside over a trial of the man she helped escaped. The two alleged victims of his alleged criminal behavior and the DA were in court waiting for the trial to begin. They had no idea she had tried to help the accused to escape. I wonder what the victims thought of the judge’s action. One wold think that as an officer of the court this has to be a very serious violation of the law.


 
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Warrigal said:
I have read that she did not help him to evade the men waiting to arrest him. All she did was allow him to leave by a different door that led to the same foyer as the other one.

I intuit that she did not want a scene in front of TV cameras in her court.
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As I mentioned, a trial was about to begin with him being the defendant. His alleged victims and the DA were in the court room waiting for the trial to start.
 
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It should be pointed out that the judge's legal team is now represented by Paul D. Clement, a Republican who served as the 43rd U.S. Solicitor General under President George W. Bush, from 2005 to 2008. Clement, known for his conservative legal background, will be joining a defense team led by former U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic, according to Bloomberg Law.

During his career, Clement has argued cases on behalf of many conservative causes, such as opposing gun control; defending a ban on federal recognition of same-sex marriage; advocating to enjoin the Affordable Care Act; defending Republican gerrymandering in North Carolina; and as Acting Solicitor General, defending the Controlled Substances Act under the Commerce Clause, as well as the Bush administration's treatment of terrorism suspects.`
 
And now the Governor of Wisconsin has come under scrutiny for advising state employees not to aid ICE agents that come on site to arrest illegal aliens.
Warrigal said:
Does it concern anyone that she has been arrested without a signed warrant?

Is that a common event in USA?
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If a law enforcement officer has probable cause that a crime has been committed by an individual or individuals, the officer may take the suspect(s) into custody, according to the 4th amendment. The main ingredient here is “probable cause.”
 
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