Kash Patel Escalates Deportation Drama With Arrest of a Milwaukee Judge for Allegedly Not Cooperating with ICE

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel made headlines this morning, first by announcing the arrest of Milwaukee County circuit judge Hannah Dugan on X, and then deleting it. Patel said Dugan was arrested for allegedly not cooperating with ICE to arrest an undocumented immigrant. He restored the tweet later in the day, after Dugan appeared in a federal court. 

“We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest,” Patel said, adding that Flores-Ruiz is currently in the FBI’s custody.

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As The Washington Post points out, Dugan’s arrest is “the first publicly known instance of the Trump administration charging a local official for allegedly interfering with immigration enforcement.” 

According to The New York Times, “the arrest of a sitting state court judge is a major escalation in the Trump administration’s battle with local authorities over deportations. The administration has demanded, under threat of investigation or prosecution, that local officials assist federal efforts to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.” 

The arrest also raises questions about the roles and responsibilities of state judges in relation to federal immigration law, and the potential for conflicts between state and federal authorities. 

A few hours after her arrest, today, Dugan appeared “briefly “in federal court, the Associated Press said, “before she was released from custody. During the hearing, her lawyer said that her client “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety. 

The Journal Sentinel reported, the FBI was looking into whether Dugan tried to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after that person was scheduled to appear in her courtroom last week. The Ne York Tims, citing charging documents note of “ a confrontation” on April 18, at Dugan’s courthouse, “in which federal agents say she was visibly upset and had a confrontational, angry demeanor” when a group of immigration, DEA and FBI agents came to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, “a citizen of Mexico who was in her courtroom to face misdemeanor criminal charges.” According to the criminal complaint, the judge confronted the agents and told them to go talk to the chief judge of the courthouse. She then returned to her courtroom.

Since his confirmation to head the the most powerful law enforcement organization, Patel has catapulted into a position of immense power. Prior to his nomination and 

subsequent confirmation to head the FBI, Patel has been vocal about his views on the FBI and Trump’s second term as president. 

He has broadly vowed to retaliate against Trump’s “enemies” during a second stint in the White House. He told Steve Bannon on his “War Room” podcast that he wanted to go after perceived enemies “not just in government but in the media.” They are going “to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections,” Patel said, referring to the 2020 election. “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly. … We’re putting you all on notice.” 

Earlier this month, Patel was quietly removed from his dual role as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. The White House has characterized Patel’s ATF appointment as a “standard, short-term move” while awaiting Senate confirmations, with spokesperson Harrison Fields stating that Patel is now “excelling in his role at the FBI and delivering outstanding results.” NBC News sources suggested the change “had nothing to do with job performance,” while New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush indicated Patel’s “plate was too full” at the FBI.