ABC chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas reacted to the arrest of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan on Friday’s World News Tonight by framing it as a “major escalation” from the Trump administration and “extremely rare.”
As it was, Thomas began his report, “Tonight, a sitting state court judge is facing federal charges and possibly years in prison in what critics are saying is a major escalation in the Trump administration's effort to pressure officials to assist in deportation efforts.”
Thomas eventually got into the specific allegations:
According to a newly unsealed indictment, on April 18, Dugan was visibly upset and had a confrontational, angry demeanor when she and another judge confronted a group of federal agents that had come to her courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican citizen, who was in court to face misdemeanor domestic violence charges. Agents said she told them to go see the chief judge of the courthouse and went back to her courtroom, where ‘Judge Dugan then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel out of the courtroom through’ a ‘jury door.’
After a clip of Attorney General Pam Bondi declaring that “no one is above the law, not even a judge,” Thomas provided Dugan’s defense attorneys response, “Dugan's attorneys saying in court, she ‘wholeheartedly protests the arrest and believes it was not made in the interests of public safety.’”
Back live, Thomas concluded, “David, it's extremely rare for a judge to be charged with obstructing an immigration case. That Wisconsin case judge is vowing to fight the charges, but David, if convicted, she faces up to six years in prison.”
Perhaps the reason for the rarity is because most judges don’t obstruct ICE by allegedly helping alleged domestic abusers escape. During the Biden era, the media portrayed the rare legal cases against Trump as a welcome sign that nobody is above the law, but now that the shoe is on the other foot, it is Trump who is supposedly doing the escalating.
Here is a transcript for the April 25 show:
ABC World News Tonight
4/25/2025
6:39 PM ET
PIERRE THOMAS: Tonight, a sitting state court judge is facing federal charges and possibly years in prison in what critics are saying is a major escalation in the Trump administration's effort to pressure officials to assist in deportation efforts.
LOCAL REPORTER: Judge? Anything to say about this?
THOMAS: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan seen here leaving court after being arrested by the FBI. Dugan faces multiple charges for allegedly obstructing ICE agents trying to arrest an undocumented immigrant.
According to a newly unsealed indictment, on April 18, Dugan was visibly upset and had a confrontational, angry demeanor when she and another judge confronted a group of federal agents that had come to her courthouse to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican citizen, who was in court to face misdemeanor domestic violence charges. Agents said she told them to go see the chief judge of the courthouse and went back to her courtroom, where “Judge Dugan then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel out of the courtroom through” a ‘“jury door.’”
PAM BONDI: If you commit a crime in this country, you’re going to be held accountable. It doesn't matter, we’re going to prosecute you. No one is above the law, not even a judge.
THOMAS: Dugan's attorneys saying in court, she “wholeheartedly protests the arrest and believes it was not made in the interests of public safety.”
Overnight, another judicial-related arrest. In Las Cruces, New Mexico, the FBI taking former county magistrate Joel Cano and wife, Nancy, into custody, held without bond, accused of harboring three Venezuelan gang members on their property.
David, it's extremely rare for a judge to be charged with obstructing an immigration case. That Wisconsin case judge is vowing to fight the charges, but David, if convicted, she faces up to six years in prison.
