"AG Bondi condemns judges over alleged aiding of undocumented immigrants in breaking arrest laws"
Feds Nab Two Judges for Aiding Undocumented Criminals
Friday saw the FBI's arrest of two judges, stirring up wariness among Democrats and others. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was taken into custody for allegedly aiding an undocumented immigrant evade arrest, just hours after federal authorities nabbed former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano and his spouse for sheltering a foreigner with suspected gang ties.
Attorney General Pam Bondi addressed our website Live's Kyra Phillips Friday afternoon, brushing aside naysayers who accused the Trump administration of bullying judges standing against their crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Bondi asserted, "Nobody is above the law, not even a judge."
Kash Patel, FBI Director, announced Judge Dugan's detainment on his social media post, which was initially deleted and then reposted. Patel declared, "Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction - after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week."
Court records reveal Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the undocumented immigrant involved in the Milwaukee case, had a pretrial conference scheduled with Judge Dugan on April 18, regarding charges related to a March 12 domestic abuse incident that remains ongoing.
Federal prosecutors alleged Flores-Ruiz entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico and received an Expedited Removal order in January 2013, according to a criminal complaint. Bondi accused Flores-Ruiz of causing significant harm to his roommate and a woman, hospitalizing both, and wreaking havoc in the hospital before his arrest.
According to the complaint, Dugan attempted to help Flores-Ruiz evade arrest by obstructing federal officers from an ICE task force. When Dugan learned of the ICE officers' presence in court to arrest Flores-Ruiz, she reportedly grew "visibly angry" and disparaged the situation as "absurd." She then left the bench and entered her chambers, in turn approaching the arrest team in the public hallway, where she allegedly obstructed their efforts and potentially connived with another unidentified judge.
When questioned about being present for a court appearance, one of the officers replied he didn't have a judicial warrant, to which Dugan reportedly questioned, "No I have an administrative warrant." Witnesses subsequently claimed Dugan escorted Flores-Ruiz and his lawyers out of her courtroom after directing members of the arrest team to the office of the court's chief judge[1].
Dugan's indictment states she faces two criminal charges: "obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States" and "concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest."
In response to Dugan's lawyers' statement that she would "defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated," Bondi retorted, "They didn't get it because she let a criminal defendant walk out a door. She helped them. She obstructed justice."
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson accused federal agents of "showboating," claiming Dugan was not a flight risk. Governor Tony Evers condemned the White House for allegedly attempting to undermine the judiciary. Bondi, however, emphasized the gravity of the crimes connected to the judges' cases[2].
[1] [https://example.com/judge-hannah-dugan-milwaukee-judge-arrested-ice][2] [https://example.com/judge-dugan-charge][ More: More Americans say US should bring back Abrego Garcia, views mixed on other deportation issues: POLL]
- The arrest of two judges, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan and former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano, on charges related to aiding undocumented immigrants, has sparked general-news discussions in politics, with Kyra Phillips interviewing Attorney General Pam Bondi about the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
- In a videotaped interview, Bondi stated that the FBI's arrest of Judge Dugan and the obstruction of justice charges against her were a result of evidence showing she obstructed an immigration arrest operation, following Flores-Ruiz's domestic abuse charges and a previous Expedited Removal order.
- Federal prosecutors have accused Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the undocumented immigrant involved in the Milwaukee case, of causing significant harm to his roommate and a woman, hospitalizing both, and wreaking havoc in the hospital before his arrest, making the crime-and-justice issue prominent in the ongoing discussions.
- Court records have revealed that Dugan's indictment includes two criminal charges: "obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States" and "concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest," leading to intense debate about the role of judges in politics and their potential support for undocumented criminals.
