Milwaukee judge arrested for allegedly helping migrant evade ICE arrest – National & International News – FRI 25Apr2025
Milwaukee judge arrested for allegedly obstructing ICE arrest.
Disgraced former Congressman George Santos gets 7 years in prison for fraud and ID theft.
Milwaukee judge arrested for allegedly obstructing ICE arrest
Federal authorities arrested a circuit judge in Milwaukee, WI, at the courthouse this morning on charges that the obstructed an attempt by ICE agents to arrest an undocumented migrant who appeared in her courtroom last week. Citing sources, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Judge Hannah Dugan, 65, learned that ICE agents had showed up at the courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national who was appearing before her. Flores-Ruiz was facing three misdemeanor battery counts stemming from an altercation between roommates. According the Sentinel, Dugan told the agents to go to the chief judge’s office, then directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out of a side door to evade arrest. Flores-Ruiz was later apprehended and is in ICE detention.
Judge Dugan disputes the Sentinel’s account but has not commented further. She made a brief appearance in federal court and was released later on Friday. She is due to enter a plea to the charges against her on May 15.
Trump’s escalating feud with the judiciary
The Trump administration has had numerous public showdowns with judges (mostly federal) who have disputed the lawfulness of certain deportation actions. In one case, Trump called for a judge to be impeached after he demanded a halt to deportation flights to El Salvador. Many consider the administration to now be in open defiance of a Supreme Court ruling calling for the facilitation of the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the administration acknowledged was wrongfully deported to El Salvador.
The administration has also repeatedly threatened to arrest local and state officials who do not cooperate with ICE. However, accounts circulating in the press describe Judge Dugan taking action, not in her judicial capacity, to allow Flores-Ruiz to evade ICE agents with a warrant for his arrest. Witnesses say Dugan told the agents they did not have the right type of warrant to make an arrest. The agents apparently had an administrative warrant rather than a judicial warrant, which is a common practice. Administrative warrants have some limitations, but generally will empower an arrest in a public space or building.
Whatever the merits of the charges against Dugan, it sure to increase the tension between the Trump administration and the judiciary. The political backlash to her arrest has been swift and widespread. Her supporters (mostly elected Democrats and opponents of deportation) have described her arrest as “unlawful” and an “overreach“. Republicans have backed the arrest and some have called for Dugan’s removal from the bench.
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Disgraced former Congressman George Santos gets 7 years in prison for fraud and ID theft
A federal judge has sentenced former Republican New York Congressman George Santos to 7 years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024 to charges that he had embezzled money from his own campaign and donors which he spent on Botox treatments, luxury vacation rentals, OnlyFans models and shopping sprees.
Shortly after Santos won his congressional seat in 2022, it soon came to light that he had lied about his resume and his heritage, and had falsely claimed that his mother was a survivor of the 9/11 attacks. Santos also used an array of aliases to deceive and dupe many unsuspecting people over the years, including Anthony Zabrovsky, George Devolder, Anthony Devolder, and Kitara Ravache (a drag persona). He was later accused of lying on his mandatory financial disclosures to Congress. His former House colleagues voted to expel him from Congress in November of 2023, after he was indicted on the federal charges.
Some have viewed Santos’ persona and exploits as “colorful” and have found themselves in awe of his brazenness. However, his conduct has harmed many innocent people. For example, he used a bogus pet charity to defraud a veteran whose service dog needed life-saving surgery. The dog sadly later died due to not receiving timely care for her ailment.
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