FBI Arrest of Milwaukee Judge Sparks Alarm From Trump Critics

A social media post by the FBI director announcing the arrest of a Milwaukee jurist on Friday was branded as a means to “intimidate other judges.”

Democratic Wisconsin State Senator Chris Larson’s comment came after Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was detained by the FBI, accused of helping an illegal immigrant avoid arrest by federal agents. He was still arrested on the day in question last week.

“All people are entitled to due process in any functional democracy,” Larson said in a post to X, formerly Twitter. “That the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on social media is indicative of the true goal of this action – to intimidate other judges into complying with this admin’s authoritarian goals.”

Patel later deleted his post, then re-shared information two hours later. The FBI has yet to respond to Newsweek’s Friday morning request for comment at the time of publishing.

Why It Matters

Larson was not alone in criticizing the Trump administration’s move, with senators and representatives in Congress also voicing concerns that the judicial system itself was under attack. Judges are rarely arrested or impeached, but U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested Friday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) was going to prosecute more.

What To Know

Dugan had an initial court appearance Friday, following her arrest earlier in the day. Patel said she had tried to help Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 30, avoid arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 18.

Bondi said Flores-Ruiz had already been deported from the U.S. once, and that ICE agents had arrived at the Milwaukee courthouse to detain him. He was there for a hearing on battery charges.

Dugan is accused of guiding the defendant and his attorney out of a side door to a hallway leading to a public area on the same floor, according to authorities.

Following the announcement of the judge’s arrest, swiftly deleted by the FBI director, protests ensued outside the courtroom where her hearing took place.

Officials in Milwaukee and wider Wisconsin spoke of Dugan’s character and belief in due process.

“As this process unfolds, I remain confident in Judge Dugan’s character. She has always stood on the right side of history, and I believe she will continue to do so,” Milwaukee Alderman Pete Burgelis said in a statement.

Alderperson JoCasta Zamarripa also raised concerns about the move as a potential intimidation tactic: “In this country every man, woman, and child has the right to due process, and I would expect that nothing less be given to Judge Dugan in this instance, particularly as she has displayed that basic courtesy to everyone who has stepped foot into her courtroom.”

The criminal complaint filed against Dugan says that ICE agents often make arrests in public areas and buildings, such as the courthouse where Dugan works.

On April 18, six agents were sent to the building to detain Flores-Ruiz. Once cleared by court security, agents waited outside Dugan’s courtroom for the hearing to wrap up. When she learned of their presence, she and another judge approached members of the arrest team, appearing “visibly upset” with a “confrontational, angry demeanor,” according to the criminal complaint.

Later, rather than directing Flores-Ruiz out of the courtroom to the waiting agents, authorities said, she directed him and his attorney out of a side door leading to a private space that exits into a public hallway. Following a chase, agents were able to detain the suspect.

Whether Dugan is found to have violated federal law or not, many have said the move is a serious and drastic one, which could breach the separation of powers between the executive and judicial branches.

What People Are Saying

Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers, in a statement: “In this country, people who are suspected of criminal wrongdoing are innocent until their guilt is proven beyond reasonable doubt and they are found guilty by a jury of their peers—this is the fundamental demand of justice in America.

Unfortunately, we have seen in recent months the president and the Trump Administration repeatedly use dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level, including flat-out disobeying the highest court in the land and threatening to impeach and remove judges who do not rule in their favor.”

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, in a statement: “I will say, I wish the Trump administration would focus less on settling scores with their perceived political enemies and focus their attention on fixing the economy that they’ve broken or remedying the mistakes they have made as they slashed through important federal programs.”

Arizona Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari, on X: “This is why we’ve been sounding the alarm on authoritarianism. It’s happening and it’s extremely dangerous.”

Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, in a statement: “By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting those basic Democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line.”

Bondi, speaking on judges trying to obstruct federal agents, on Fox News: “We are going to prosecute you, and we are prosecuting you … We could not believe that a judge really did that.”

Republican Wisconsin Representative Scott Fitzgerald, on X: “Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan allegedly helped an illegal alien evade arrest by ICE. This is an egregious abuse of power by someone sworn to uphold the law. No one—especially a judge—should interfere with federal immigration enforcement.”

Republican Wisconsin Representative Tony Wied, on X: “Absolutely unacceptable. Not only are activist judges trying to thwart the President’s agenda, now they are actively breaking the law to protect illegal aliens. Judge Dugan should resign immediately.”

What’s Next

Dugan appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee on Friday before being released. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 15.