U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman on December 24 upheld the conviction of Hannah Dugan, a former Wisconsin state judge convicted of helping an immigrant evade ICE officers. Adelman had previously delayed sentencing to consider efforts to overturn the verdict but ultimately rejected the motion.
Dugan's defense team immediately responded, stating the court's decision was "wrong."
The case began when Dugan, while serving as a judge, confronted ICE officers who came to her courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented immigrant who was due in court on a state assault charge. Dugan argued that an ICE administrative warrant was insufficient to detain Flores-Ruiz. She was convicted of escorting the man and his attorney out through a jury-only door, allowing him to flee.
Dugan, 67, had served as a judge for nine years before resigning amid impeachment threats from state Republicans. She was arrested at the courthouse and led away in handcuffs a week later.
On December 19, Dugan was found guilty and faces up to five years in prison, though she is likely to receive a suspended sentence due to her lack of prior criminal record and the non-violent nature of the offense.
Republican officials described Dugan as an activist judge who helped an undocumented immigrant evade the law. Her lawyers, however, argued that the Trump administration targeted Dugan for her opposition to a key enforcement priority.
Previously, U.S. administrations largely declined to conduct immigration-related arrests at courthouses, fearing it would deter immigrants from accessing the justice system or reporting crimes. The Trump administration broke with that tradition and expanded immigration enforcement to other sensitive locations, such as places of worship.
