Deportation of Alleged Criminal Following Judge’s Interference

Authorities have deported Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a suspected violent criminal, after an incident involving a Milwaukee judge who attempted to prevent his arrest.

The Department of Homeland Security carried out the deportation on November 13, following Flores-Ruiz’s arrest in Milwaukee County Court in April. According to a press release, FBI officials worked alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during special operations initiated after Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan instructed officers to refrain from arresting individuals from Mexico.

Assistant Attorney General Tricia McLaughlin noted, “Judge Hannah Dugan’s efforts to obstruct the arrest of this violent criminal gives a new spin to the term ‘activist judge.’ Thanks to the courageous work of ICE, this individual was successfully removed from our country.”

Flores-Ruiz illegally entered the United States for the first time in 2013 but was apprehended by Border Patrol in Nogales, Arizona, and subsequently deported back to Mexico. He later re-entered the U.S. and was involved in felonious activities. (Related: Investigation reveals judge was indifferent to scheme allowing illegal evasion of ICE arrest)

Following his deportation, Flores-Ruiz returned within days and settled back in Milwaukee, where he spent nearly 12 years working in restaurants, as reported by the Associated Press. Police charged him with three misdemeanors after a dispute with his roommate.

During an April 18 hearing, federal immigration agents planned to arrest Flores-Ruiz, but Judge Dugan apparently led him out of the courtroom, allowing him to evade the officers. They eventually located and detained him.

In the aftermath, the FBI apprehended Judge Dugan a few days later, charging her with obstructing legal proceedings and hiding identity to avoid arrest, as noted by The Hill. She entered a not guilty plea during her arraignment and was released.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court temporarily suspended Dugan’s judicial duties, stating, “It is in the public interest that she be removed from public service for the time being.”

Earlier this year, Flores-Ruiz pleaded guilty to illegal reentry.