Federal Judge Upholds Conviction of Former Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan for Obstructing ICE

Washington, D.C. – A federal judge has upheld the felony obstruction conviction of former Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, clearing the path for her sentencing after months of legal maneuvering.

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman ruled on June 16, 2026, denying Dugan’s motion to overturn or reconsider the jury’s December 2025 verdict. Dugan was found guilty of felony obstruction of a federal proceeding for her actions during an immigration enforcement operation in her courtroom in April 2025. She was acquitted on a separate misdemeanor charge of concealing a person from arrest.

The case stemmed from an incident in which ICE agents entered Dugan’s courtroom to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national previously deported and facing removal proceedings. According to trial evidence, Dugan directed the agents to a different location, expedited a hearing for Flores-Ruiz, and then escorted him out through a jury door, allowing him to temporarily evade immediate custody. Agents apprehended him shortly afterward outside the courthouse.

Dugan’s defense argued that ICE’s presence in the courtroom disrupted judicial proceedings and that her actions did not constitute obstruction. Prosecutors maintained she knowingly interfered with a lawful federal enforcement action. The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before reaching the split verdict.

Following the conviction, sentencing was originally scheduled but postponed multiple times as Dugan’s legal team filed motions challenging the verdict, citing a separate appeals court ruling in another case. Judge Adelman ultimately rejected those arguments, determining the new precedent did not apply to Dugan’s situation.

Dugan, who resigned from the bench after the conviction, faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $350,000 on the felony count. As a first-time, non-violent offender with a long record of public service, she is widely expected to receive a sentence that may not include significant prison time, though the final decision rests with the judge. No sentencing date has been set yet.

Dugan’s attorneys have indicated plans to appeal the conviction. Supporters have portrayed the case as politically motivated retaliation by the Trump administration against judges perceived as sympathetic to immigration defendants. Critics, including law enforcement advocates, argue it underscores the need to hold officials accountable when they interfere with federal immigration enforcement.

The case has drawn national attention as a high-profile example of tensions between local officials and federal immigration authorities. It remains one of several legal actions involving judges and public officials accused of obstructing ICE operations amid heightened enforcement under the current administration.

The ruling solidifies Dugan’s felony record and moves the case toward final resolution through sentencing in the coming weeks or months.