MADISON, Wisconsin — A federal judge on Tuesday declined to overturn the conviction of former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was found guilty of obstructing justice after helping an immigrant sought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) avoid agents at a Milwaukee courthouse in 2025, according to court records and statements from the parties involved.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman ruled that Dugan’s conviction would stand, rejecting arguments from her attorneys that a key legal element required for the obstruction charge was not present in the case. Adelman had postponed Dugan’s sentencing earlier this month to consider the challenge before issuing his decision. He did not immediately set a new sentencing date.
Dugan, a former Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, was convicted in December 2025 of felony obstruction after prosecutors said she helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz leave the courthouse through a private exit while ICE agents were attempting to detain him. Flores-Ruiz was later arrested outside the building and subsequently deported, according to court filings and prosecutors.
The case drew national attention as one of the most prominent prosecutions involving a sitting state judge during President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign. Supporters of the prosecution said public officials should not interfere with federal law enforcement operations, while Dugan’s supporters argued the case threatened judicial independence.
Dugan’s legal team had argued that her conviction should be vacated in light of a federal appeals court ruling in a separate Virginia immigration-related case. Her attorneys contended that ICE’s actions did not constitute a “pending proceeding,” a requirement under the federal obstruction statute used in the prosecution.
Adelman disagreed, writing that the attempted arrest of Flores-Ruiz qualified as a pending proceeding because it was part of a planned and targeted enforcement operation. “Defendant argues that ICE was acting as a law enforcement agency here,” Adelman wrote in his ruling. “But this ignores the fact that, unlike, say, the FBI, ICE can issue its own warrants and adjudicate and effectuate a removal.”
In a statement following the decision, Dugan’s defense team said, “The court’s decision is wrong.” Prosecutors have maintained that the facts of the Wisconsin case support the conviction and differ from the Virginia matter cited by the defense.
Dugan resigned from the bench after her conviction. She faces a potential prison sentence under federal law, although court filings indicate sentencing guidelines may recommend probation. As of Tuesday, no new sentencing date had been announced.
