ILWAUKEE (AP) — The FBI on Friday arrested a Wisconsin county judge accused of helping a man avoid immigration enforcement, Director Kash Patel said.
Patel made the announcement in a post on X and said his office believes Judge Hannah Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse.”
READ MORE: Many Americans say Trump has gone too far on immigration but remains his strongest issue, AP-NORC poll finds
Patel identified the subject as Eduardo Flores Ruiz and said Dugan’s actions allowed Ruiz to evade arrest.
The Justice Department didn’t immediately have a comment Friday. A person answering the phone Friday at Dugan’s office said he could not comment. The Associated Press left an email and voicemail Friday morning seeking comment from Milwaukee County Courts Chief Judge Carl Ashley.
The arrest marks an escalation in the Trump administration’s fight with the judiciary over the White House’s sweeping immigration enforcement policies. The Justice Department had previously signaled that it was going to crack down on local officials thwarting federal immigration efforts.
The department in January ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials who they believe are interfering with the administration’s immigration crackdown.
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