A former Wisconsin judge, Hannah Dugan, 67, has avoided prison and been fined just $5,000 after being convicted of helping an illegal immigrant evade authorities in her Milwaukee courtroom. The outcome matters because it concludes a high-profile case that touched on the tension between the judiciary and immigration enforcement, with prosecutors having argued that her actions amounted to an "abuse of trust."

Dugan was found to have helped Eduardo Flores Ruiz, a Mexican immigrant, slip past immigration agents in April 2025. She resigned in January, a month after a jury convicted her of felony obstruction. US District Judge Lynn Adelman ruled that prison was not necessary, describing her conduct as "a few minutes" of poor judgement by someone who had "dedicated her life in service to the needy." Dugan told the court her actions carried no malicious intent, saying she had been "cast as both a scofflaw and a hero" but was "neither".