WASHINGTON — Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine — but dodged prison time — for trying to help an illegal immigrant escape federal authorities following a court hearing last year.
Dugan was facing up to five years behind bars after she was convicted in December of felony obstruction of justice for helping Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national, escape out a back door to avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Hannah Dugan seen at the Milwaukee Federal Building before her sentencing on July 8, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectWisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan ordered to pay a $5,000 fine after helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE. REUTERSWisconsin county judge Hannah Dugan is escorted by officials after her arrest, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., April 25, 2025. DOJMilwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan is seen entering the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse on May 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
She was facing up to five years behind bars.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz is an illegal immigrant who was accused of punching someone 30 times. Milwaukee PDJudge Hannah Dugan was found guilty of helping an illegal immigrant evade ICE agents. APThe cover of the New York Post on April 26, 2025.
The incident took place in the early months of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration across the country.
