The FBI has arrested a Wisconsin judge for allegedly hiding an illegal immigrant in her jury room in order to stop that person from being arrested by ICE, Fox News sources say.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding Friday morning after evidence came to light that she shielded the migrant from ICE agents, according to federal law enforcement sources.
Federal law enforcement sources tell Fox News that on April 18, federal agents from ICE, FBI, CBP and DEA attempted to arrest an undocumented male following his scheduled criminal court appearance. That’s when federal law enforcement sources say Judge Dugan demanded that the officers proceed to the chief judge’s office. At that point they say the judge left and that the undocumented individual’s hearing concluded and that he had quickly left the building.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, pictured in 2016, has been arrested for allegedly hiding an undocumented immigrant in her jury room in order to prevent that person from being arrested by ICE. (Mike De Sisti / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, left, Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, top right, Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images, bottom right.)
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Fox News has learned federal law enforcement officials believe Judge Dugan willfully redirected agents and officers to the chief judge’s office so the illegal immigrant could leave the courtroom and evade arrest.
Fox News is told Judge Dugan will likely have her initial appearance in federal court in Milwaukee sometime on Friday.
Dugan has disputed the accuracy of the reports, according to local reports.
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Fox News Digital contacted Dugan’s office by phone on Wednesday and a worker said the judge was in court and would return the call. Fox News Digital contacted Dugan again on Thursday and has not yet received a response.
Several outlets reported that Chief Judge Carl Ashley sent out an email to judges at the court about ICE’s presence, but the email did not mention anything about the accusations surrounding Dugan.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Dugan responded to the accusations in its publication on Tuesday, writing: “Nearly every fact regarding the ‘tips’ in your email is inaccurate.”
The incident comes after two people were arrested by ICE officials in the hallways of the courthouse in recent weeks, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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State Rep. Bob Donovan, a Republican, addressed the accusations against Dugan earleir this week and said that the FBI was investigating.
“In all my years of Milwaukee politics and public safety issues, working with cops, district attorneys, and judges, I have never seen a more irresponsible act by an officer of the court, let alone a judge, if true,” Donovan said in a statement. “This borders on obstruction of justice and I hope the FBI continues a thorough investigation and, if warranted, prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”
Dugan has worked with legal aid organizations and as executive director of Catholic Charities in the past. She was elected to Branch 31 of the Circuit Court in 2016 and ran unopposed in the 2022 election. She primarily oversees cases in its misdemeanor division, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
