A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge arrested in April for allegedly helping a man evade immigration officers in her court could face up to six years in prison if convicted, according to an indictment handed down Tuesday by a federal grand jury.
Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI officials last month for allegedly “knowingly” helping an undocumented immigrant in her court evade ICE authorities and telling the officers in her court that they needed a warrant. On Tuesday, she was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges of concealing a person from arrest and on obstruction of justice charges, under 18 U.S.C. Section 1505 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1071, respectively.
The indictment accuses Dugan of “falsely” telling federal officials in April that they needed a warrant to come into her court during a scheduled appearance by Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican national who was in court on three misdemeanor battery charges.
Dugan told the officers to proceed to the chief judge’s office to obtain a warrant, according to the criminal complaint, and she then escorted Flores-Ruiz through a side door to evade federal agents.
MILWAUKEE COUNTY JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN INDICTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY HELPING ILLEGAL ALIEN EVADE ICE
If found guilty of both charges, Dugan could face up to six years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines.
She will appear in court on Thursday and is expected to enter a plea of not guilty, as indicated by a statement from her legal team on Tuesday.
“Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge,” her lawyers said, adding that their client further “asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court.”
Dugan’s arrest and criminal charges have become a political lightning rod at a time when the Trump administration has moved to take sweeping actions to crack down on its immigration enforcement priorities.
Her actions, while controversial, have also attracted an all-star legal defense team to argue in court on her behalf.
Last month, her defense team tapped former Bush-era solicitor general Paul Clemente to represent her.
Clemente, who was also on Trump’s short list of Supreme Court nominees during his first term, is a well-respected litigator who has argued more than 100 cases before the Supreme Court.
He is also not the only Bush-era powerhouse representing her in court. Steve Biskupic, a former U.S. attorney and a George W. Bush appointee, was tapped last month to head up the team, as first reported by Law.com. Others include Craig Mastantuono of Mastantuono Coffee & Thomas and Jason Luczak and Nicole Masnica of Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown.
Still, Dugan’s actions have also sparked fierce backlash from Trump administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who have vowed to hold her accountable for her actions.
“She will be held accountable for that,” Noem told Fox News in an interview Tuesday night. “That was a great decision, coming forward, to recognize that nobody can facilitate breaking the law.
“We shouldn’t be able to allow that in this country, and we need to make sure that even judges are held accountable for their actions,” she added.
Fox News’s Michael Dorgan and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.