BREAKING: Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan spared jail time after conviction for helping illegal immigrant evade ICE in her courtroom

Dugan was convicted in December 2025 of felony obstruction. The conviction stems from her intentionally helping a Mexican national who was in the country illegally avoid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a courthouse who were waiting to arrest him in April of 2025.

Dugan resigned as a Milwaukee County judge in January after nine years, after Republican state lawmakers called for her impeachment. She defended her misconduct, saying it was done to maintain the "decorum and safety of the courtroom."

“I have been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither. I am a public servant who’s just trying to do my job,” Dugan told the court.

In a sentencing memo filed last week, prosecutors argued that Dugan had violated her oath as a judge.

“Judges are entrusted with tremendous discretion, but there is a line they cannot cross,” said Executive Assistant US Attorney Richard Frohling, adding that Dugan had "crossed that line."

However, Dugan's attorneys said she had been "punished enough" after she resigned. They also cited threats of violence she has allegedly been facing. In response, US District Judge Lynn Adelman noted Dugan's lack of misconduct in her life before the incident as a reason for the lenient sentence.

“I think this is a situation where an otherwise good person, upset by immigration policies in this country, made a bad decision in the moment,” Adelman said.

Adelman also cited the fact that Dugan's attempts ultimately did not stop ICE from arresting the illegal immigrant.

“This is a few minutes of conduct for someone who has dedicated her life to public service,” the judge added. “It’s a marked deviation from an otherwise law-abiding life.”