Protesters decry arrest of Milwaukee judge charged with helping immigrant evade ICE

More than 100 protesters and local officials gathered at the federal courthouse in downtown Milwaukee April 25 to condemn Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest by federal agents.

As word of Dugan's arrest spread, about two dozen protesters linked arms in front of the courthouse, chanting “No justice. No peace. Let the judge be released." Some waved American flags. One protestor held a sign that read "Only Fascists Arrest Judges."

Inside the courthouse, Dugan, 65, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Dries during a brief hearing.

She was charged with two federal counts on allegations she tried to help Eduardo Flores-Ruiz avoid arrest after he appeared in her courtroom April 18, facing three misdemeanor battery counts stemming from a fight with roommates.

Standing hear the courthouse doors, Elizabeth Kessler, a Wisconsin tax appeals commissioner, said she was appalled that the government would arrest a judge for doing her job.

“If we don’t stand up for the institutions of our government we’re going to lose them," she said.

Michael Rosen, a 77-year-old Milwaukee resident whose aunts survived the Holocaust, believes Dugan's arrest is a betrayal of justice.

"This is insipid fascism that needs to be stopped," he said. "It's what our fathers fought against in World War II."

Milwaukee resident Janice Wilberg said when she heard about Dugan’s arrest  she “wanted to cry.” She added that she's met Dugan a handful of times and is friendly with her.

“She’s been an amazing lawyer for poor people,” Wilberg said. “She’s super fair, super ethical. She’s just a model judge.”

A handful of Democratic elected officials joined the spontaneous protest.

Rep. Christine Sinicki, who spoke to reporters with Milwaukee Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic and Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa on the courthouse steps, called Dugan's arrest "clear intimidation" from the federal government.

"If they can walk into a courthouse and arrest a sitting judge, then what can happen to the rest of us?" Sinicki said. "People are scared."

Dimitrijevic and Zamarripa implored local and state officials to join them in standing up for Wisconsin immigrants who are afraid.

"This is not normal, this is not okay, we will not normalize that," Dimitrijevic said.

“We’ve never seen anything remotely like this before,” said state Rep. Ryan Clancy. “All she did is what we should all be doing: standing up for folks when they need it.”

County Board Supervisor Felesia A. Martin also joined the protesters.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters Daniel Bice and John Diedrich contributed to this report.

Correction, April 28, 2025: Judge Hannah Dugan faces two federal charges: obstruction of a federal agency, which is a felony; and concealing a person to help them avoid arrest, a misdemeanor. An earlier version of this article incorrectly described one of the counts.