Milwaukee Judge suspended ‘to uphold the public’s confidence’ after allegedly helping illegal immigrant evade ICE

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has been temporarily suspended from her job by the Wisconsin Supreme Court after she was arrested on federal charges of obstruction. The suspension started right away and is connected to an incident on April 18 where Judge Dugan is accused of helping Eduardo Flores-Ruiz.

As reported by CNN, Flores-Ruiz was a Mexican citizen who was facing deportation, avoid being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. The situation happened when ICE agents tried to detain Flores-Ruiz, who was supposed to appear in Judge Dugan’s courtroom for a domestic violence case.

Flores-Ruiz had been deported from the United States before, according to NBC, and ICE had legal grounds to remove him again. When Judge Dugan found out that ICE agents were in the courthouse, she reportedly became angry. She allegedly confronted the agents in a public hallway, challenged whether their warrant was valid, and told them to speak with the chief judge.

Judge who allegedly helped man escape ICE suspended

Court records say she then took steps to stop Flores-Ruiz from being arrested. Instead of letting Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer leave through the main doors where ICE agents were waiting, she supposedly guided them out through a less busy jury door. The agents later caught Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse after a short chase.

Because of what she did, Judge Dugan is facing two federal charges: a felony for obstructing a federal proceeding and a misdemeanor for hiding someone to prevent their arrest. If convicted, she could face up to six years in prison. Judge Dugan’s lawyers say she is innocent and are unhappy with the Supreme Court’s decision, calling it a one-sided action.

The court’s order makes it clear that the suspension was its own decision and not because of any outside request. The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s suspension of Judge Dugan is based on the state constitution, which gives the court the power to oversee how state courts are run. The order stresses the need to keep the public’s trust in the judicial system.

The court said that if the accusations against Judge Dugan were true, they would seriously damage public confidence in the courts, making her temporary removal necessary. The suspension has no set end date and will stay in place until the court decides otherwise. This means it could last long, depending on how the federal case against Judge Dugan turns out.

The suspension has gotten mixed reactions. Judge Dugan’s legal team insists she is innocent and expects her to be cleared, while former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has publicly said she should be removed from her position through legislative action. The temporary suspension itself appears to have had full support from all seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Another judge has already been assigned to handle Judge Dugan’s current cases. The results of the federal case and how long Judge Dugan’s suspension lasts will likely influence future discussions about how the legal system and law enforcement interact.