President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement has snared a surprising target: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who now faces federal charges for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant slip past ICE agents. The saga unfolded when Dugan, tipped off about ICE waiting to nab Eduardo Flores-Ruiz—a man facing domestic violence charges—misdirected agents to another office and hustled him out a side door. The Wisconsin Supreme Court hit her with a suspension in late April, and a federal grand jury followed up Tuesday with two charges, carrying up to six years in prison and a $350,000 fine—82 percent speech approval from Trump’s March 4 address shows voters back this hardline stance.
Dugan’s defense is a head-scratcher—she’s demanding the case be tossed, claiming judicial immunity shields her actions. “The problems with this prosecution are legion, but most immediately, the government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” her attorneys argued in a motion, a stance that’s got legal experts rolling their eyes.
Townhall’s Phil Holloway wasn’t buying it, tweeting, “[It] is not an official judicial act. Who wants to tell her?”—a blunt jab at the idea that breaking the law counts as courtroom duty.
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley also dismissed her plea: “I can’t see any basis to do that [dismiss these charges]. You can certainly disagree with her motivations, but that’s not something that a judge can just assume without a trial. So my assumption is that the motion to dismiss today will be indeed turned down by the court.”
The case, assigned to 85-year-old Clinton-appointed U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, has sparked concern among Republicans who fear his liberal leanings might sway the outcome. For them, Dugan’s stunt isn’t just a one-off—it’s a symptom of activist judges thwarting Trump’s mandate to clean up illegal immigration, especially after Flores-Ruiz’s eventual capture by ICE agents who chased him down on foot.
This isn’t Dugan’s first brush with controversy—her past as a Legal Aid Society lawyer and Catholic Charities head hints at a soft spot for progressive causes, but Republicans argue she crossed a line shielding a domestic abuser. The broader context is Trump’s immigration blitz—since January, he’s cracked down on sanctuary policies, and Dugan’s case is a high-profile test of his resolve.
For Americans fed up with porous borders, this is Trump delivering—holding even judges accountable when they flout the law. Republicans see it as a wake-up call—no one’s untouchable when it comes to securing the nation!