Ex-Wisconsin judge spared from prison for helping migrant evade federal agents

A former judge who was found guilty of obstruction last year for helping an immigrant evade federal agent in Wisconsin will not serve prison time, a court has ruled.

In imposing the sentence, the court determined that no jail time was necessary for former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, but ordered her to pay a $5,000 (£3,700) fine.

Dugan was arrested in April 2025 after ushering Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national facing misdemeanour battery charges, out of her courtroom through a side door.

She resigned from her position as Republicans in Wisconsin began efforts to impeach her.

Her arrest marked a win for the Trump administration and its supporters, who have sought to portray the judge’s actions as indicative of a politicised justice system.

In December, Dugan was convicted of obstructing a criminal proceeding, but was found not guilty of concealing a person from arrest.

Dugan, who declined to testify during her trial, addressed the court ahead of her sentencing on Wednesday.

In her remarks, she told the court that she was proud of her record of service to the community, and that she would not let the events of April 2025 define her.

“My acts that day were consistent with the expressed administrative and community concerns for our state courthouse,” Dugan said, according to WISN-TV, external in Milwaukee. “My judicial acts were not done with any malicious intent.”

She also said: “I’ve been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither. I am a public servant who was just trying to do my job.”

The judge overseeing her case told her that prison time was not necessary.

“For several reasons, prison is not necessary to satisfy the statutory purposes for sentencing,” said District Judge Lynn Adelman, according to WISN-TV.

“This is a person who has done a lot of good for our community,” Adelman added.

Before the sentencing, Dugan’s lawyers said they would appeal against her conviction. She faced up to five years in prison for the obstruction charge.

Her lawyers asked for a light sentence, pointing to her nine-year career as a judge which ended after her arrest.

On 18 April 2025, Flores-Ruiz had appeared in the Milwaukee court for a scheduled hearing.

Six officers from the FBI, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Drug Enforcement Agency were at the court to arrest him.

According to an FBI affidavit, Dugan became “visibly angry” over the type of arrest warrant that had been issued and had told the officers to report to the chief judge.

While they were there, Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer to a private exit used for jury members.

Still, they did not escape. Immigration agents caught them, and Flores-Ruiz was later deported.

“All she did was ‍send him ‌out into the hallway with his lawyer,” Dugan’s lawyer, Steven Biskupic, reportedly told the jury during the trial.