Milwaukee judge resigns after being found guilty of obstructing ICE arrest in courthouse

Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan has submitted her resignation to Gov. Tony Evers, stepping down amid intensifying political pressure and ongoing federal legal proceedings stemming from her recent obstruction conviction for helping an illegal immigrant evade federal authorities. She was found guilty of obstructing an ICE arrest and escorting an illegal immigrant from her courtroom, in the middle of proceedings, to help him evade arrest.

Dugan’s resignation letter was sent on Saturday, according to the governor’s office. The announcement comes as Republicans in the state had been preparing to pursue impeachment following her Dec. 19 conviction on obstruction charges related to an incident where she helped a violent illegal immigrant evade arrest by federal immigration officers at a courthouse last year. A spokesperson for Evers confirmed receipt of the letter to ABC News and said the administration would move quickly to fill the vacancy.

In her letter, Dugan reflected on her decade of service, writing that she had handled thousands of cases while maintaining “a commitment to treat all persons with dignity and respect, to act justly, deliberately and consistently, and to maintain a courtroom with the decorum and safety the public deserves.” But she said the legal fight now surrounding her has become too disruptive to the court and to public confidence in the judiciary. “As you know, I am the subject of unprecedented federal legal proceedings, which are far from concluded but which present immense and complex challenges that threaten the independence of our judiciary,” Dugan wrote. “I am pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary.”

Dugan was found guilty in December of obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during an incident at a courthouse earlier this year, when agents arrived to serve a warrant on Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. Federal prosecutors said Dugan attempted to help Flores-Ruiz evade arrest by directing ICE agents to speak with a judge in a nearby office, then returning to her courtroom and escorting Flores-Ruiz, along with his public defender, toward a non-public jury door that led into a restricted hallway with two exit options.

Prosecutors noted that Flores-Ruiz and his attorney did not take the stairwell route that would have led to another floor. Instead, they exited into a public hallway where an agent was waiting. Outside the courthouse, authorities said Flores-Ruiz attempted to flee but was captured. Dugan was arrested in April after the incident and ultimately convicted after a jury deliberated for about six hours. She was acquitted on a separate misdemeanor charge of concealing an individual to prevent arrest.

Wisconsin Republicans argued that Dugan’s conviction warranted removal and had been laying the groundwork for impeachment for weeks. In November, the Department of Homeland Security announced the removal of Flores-Ruiz, describing him as a violent criminal and pointing to past charges including battery, domestic abuse, and strangulation and suffocation.