Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was spared prison on Wednesday for helping a Mexican defendant evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman fined Dugan $5,000 and noted her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence.
"I think this is a situation where an otherwise good person, upset by immigration policies in this country, made a bad decision in the moment," Adelman said.
Dugan, 67, was convicted of felony obstruction in December. Her attorneys argued during her trial that the administration of President Donald Trump sought to "crush" Dugan in an effort to ensure judicial compliance with ICE's strategy of targeting immigrants as they appeared for court hearings. Dugan resigned her Milwaukee County circuit judgeship in January amid threats of impeachment from Republican state lawmakers.
In her resignation letter, Dugan stated her prosecution threatened "the independence of our judiciary." Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a candidate for Wisconsin governor, had publicly called for her to be incarcerated.
Dugan addressed the court, stating that her actions on April 18, 2025, were not malicious but intended to maintain "decorum and safety of the courtroom." She added that she has been portrayed as both a "scofflaw and a hero" but considers herself a public servant who was "just trying to do my job."
Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Frohling acknowledged that Dugan had "experienced collateral damage" but maintained that "judges can't choose to disregard the law."
The judge determined that prison was unnecessary, pointing to Dugan's loss of her job, her felony conviction, and threats that forced her to relocate and cease attending community events. Adelman also noted that Dugan's actions did not prevent ICE agents from arresting the defendant outside the courthouse.
Prosecutors had argued in a sentencing memo that Dugan violated her oath and endangered law enforcement and the public, stating, "The defendant crossed that line."
Dugan's attorneys contended she had been "punished enough" and should not serve any jail time beyond the hours already spent in federal custody. Federal sentencing guidelines had suggested a prison term of 15 to 21 months, but Adelman, appointed by President Bill Clinton, was not bound by them.
Dugan's attorneys indicated they would appeal her felony obstruction conviction. Jurors had acquitted her of a misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual to prevent arrest.
On April 18, 2025, immigration officers went to the Milwaukee County courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, who had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled for a hearing in a state battery case. Dugan confronted the agents outside her courtroom, directing them to the chief judge's office and arguing their administrative warrant was insufficient for an arrest within the courthouse. Her lawyers stated she was adhering to protocols requiring court employees to report immigration agents to supervisors.
After the agents departed, Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out through a private jury door. Agents then spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, pursued him outside, and apprehended him after a foot chase. The FBI arrested Dugan at the courthouse a week later.
Flores-Ruiz was deported in November.