A Wisconsin judge convicted of obstructing a federal immigration arrest has stepped down from her position, bringing a contentious legal and political battle to a close.
A Conviction and Immediate Political Pressure
Judge Hannah Dugan was convicted on 19 December 2025 for her role in helping an undocumented immigrant evade officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The verdict prompted immediate calls for her resignation from Republican state legislators, who threatened impeachment proceedings if she refused to leave the bench voluntarily.
The case stemmed from an incident in her Milwaukee County Circuit Court courtroom. Federal authorities had arrived to detain Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was present for a hearing. According to the indictment, Judge Dugan confronted the waiting FBI and ICE agents, directing them to the chief judge's office.
The Courtroom Incident That Sparked a Federal Case
While the agents were away, Dugan informed the attorney for Flores-Ruiz that his client could attend a subsequent hearing via video link. She then escorted them through a private jury room door in an attempt to facilitate an exit. However, agents spotted Flores-Ruiz and arrested him after a brief foot chase.
Flores-Ruiz was later sentenced to time already served for illegally re-entering the United States and was subsequently deported. Dugan, who had served for nine years as a judge, faced federal charges for her actions that day.
Resignation to Shield the Judiciary from "Partisan Fight"
In a letter sent on Saturday to Wisconsin's Democratic Governor, Tony Evers, Dugan announced her resignation. She described herself as the subject of "unprecedented federal legal proceedings" which she said threatened judicial independence.
"I am pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary," Dugan wrote. "However, the Wisconsin citizens that I cherish deserve to start the year with a judge on the bench in Milwaukee county branch 31 rather than have the fate of that court rest in a partisan fight in the state legislature."
The response to her decision split along partisan lines. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos commended her, stating he was "glad Dugan did the right thing by resigning." Conversely, Ann Jacobs, the Democratic chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, praised Dugan's motives, saying on social media platform X that the judge acted to "remove the judiciary from a political battle over her fate."
Dugan's legal team is proceeding with an appeal against her criminal conviction.
