Hannah Dugan
Updated: 12/20/2025, 11:13:44 AM Wikipedia source
Hannah C. Dugan (born 1959) is an American attorney and judge from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has been a Wisconsin circuit court judge for Milwaukee County since 2016. Prior to her judicial service, Dugan served as president of the Milwaukee Bar Association, as an executive director for Catholic Charities USA in south-east Wisconsin, and worked with several legal aid organizations. On April 25, 2025, Dugan was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and indicted for allegedly assisting an illegal immigrant in evading arrest. The arrest received significant national attention and elicited opinions from across the political spectrum and legal profession. Opponents of the arrest have characterized her arrest as an authoritarian act by the second Trump administration, while supporters have characterized it as a proper enforcement of the law. She was suspended by the state supreme court on April 29. On December 18, 2025, Dugan was found guilty of a felony count of obstructing federal agents and not guilty of concealing a wanted person.
Infobox
Preceded by
Paul Rifelj
Born
1959 (age 65–66)
Education
mw- University of Wisconsin, Madison (BA, JD)Boston College (MA)
Tables
· Electoral history › Wisconsin circuit courts (2016, 2022)
2016
2016
Year
2016
Election
General
Date
April 5
Elected
Hannah C. Dugan
Elected
Nonpartisan
Elected
132,461
Elected
64.90%
Defeated
Paul Rifelj (inc)
Defeated
Non.
Defeated
70,098
Defeated
34.35%
Total
204,088
Plurality
62,363
2022
2022
Year
2022
Election
General
Date
April 5
Elected
Hannah C. Dugan (inc)
Elected
Nonpartisan
Elected
89,206
Elected
98.42%
Defeated
—unopposed—
Defeated
90,640
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
| 2016 | General | April 5 | Hannah C. Dugan | Nonpartisan | 132,461 | 64.90% | Paul Rifelj (inc) | Non. | 70,098 | 34.35% | 204,088 | 62,363 |
| 2022 | General | April 5 | Hannah C. Dugan (inc) | Nonpartisan | 89,206 | 98.42% | —unopposed— | 90,640 | ||||
References
- An administrative warrant is not issued by a judge; it carries less authority than a judicial warrant and it is limited
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/hannah-dugan-milwaukee-judge-arrested-fbi-who-is-rcna203066
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/04/25/fbi-investigating-allegations-that-milwaukee-judge-helped-an-immigrant-avoid-ice-arrest-dugan/83250128007/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/us/politics/fbi-arrest-judge.html
- The Atlantichttps://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/trump-administration-initimidates-judges/682620
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/29/wisconsin-supreme-court-suspends-judge-hannah-dugan-after-charges/83354123007/
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2025/12/18/milwaukee-county-judge-hannah-dugan-found-guilty-of-felony-obstruction/87675227007/
- Axioshttps://www.axios.com/2025/04/25/judge-hannah-dugan-arrested-fbi-what-to-know
- AP Newshttps://apnews.com/article/who-is-milwaukee-judge-hannah-dugan-c7247d7d053b8f1e098919e69f5853f3
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2025/04/23/milwaukee-judge-hannah-c-dugan-track-record-of-working-for-poor-ice-immigration-arrest-courthouse/83219382007/
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://archive.jsonline.com/news/religion/79110432.html
- Milwaukee Independenthttps://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/profiles/hannah-dugan-transformational-law/
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/04/06/tight-milwaukee-county-judge-race-ends-with-no-recount/84954940/
- "Wisconsin judge suspended by state high court after being charged in federal immigration case"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wisconsin-judge-hannah-dugan-suspended-state-high-court-immigration-case-arrest/
- "Wisconsin Supreme Court suspends judge accused of obstructing immigration agents"https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/us/judge-hannah-dugan-suspended-immigrant-arrest/index.html
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/23/ice-arrested-mexican-immigrant-after-hearing-before-judge-dugan/83233154007/
- www.ice.govhttps://www.ice.gov/about-ice/ero/protected-areas
- Motion Lawhttps://www.motionlaw.com/the-difference-between-judicial-and-administrative-warrants/
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/04/23/what-is-the-difference-between-ice-administrative-judicial-warrants/83219950007/
- The Luminus Network for New Americanshttps://www.beluminus.org/warrants/
- Wisconsin Examinerhttps://wisconsinexaminer.com/briefs/fbi-investigating-milwaukee-county-judge-after-third-courthouse-ice-arrest/
- The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/04/25/wisconsin-judge-arrest-fbi-ice-immigration-enforcement/
- Associated Presshttps://apnews.com/article/immigration-judge-arrested-7997186bbca5730e70a25f2347e631f6
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/breaking/2025/04/25/milwaukee-county-judge-hannah-dugan-arrested-by-feds-at-courthouse/83270885007/
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2025/04/25/milwaukee-man-ran-from-ice-agents-at-courthouse-prosecutors-say/83273338007/
- CNBChttps://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/25/fbi-arrest-judge-hannah-dugan-milwaukee.html
- WISN-TVhttps://www.wisn.com/article/milwaukee-judge-faces-probe-courthouse-incident-immigration-agents/64568995
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/us/milwaukee-judge-hannah-dugan-immigration.html
- ABC Newshttps://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-hannah-dugan-arrested-fbi-allegedly-helping-undocumented/story?id=121161497
- MSNBChttps://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fbi-arrests-judge-wisconsin-ag-pam-bondi-directs-new-threats-judiciary-rcna203061
- Intelligencerhttps://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/judge-hannah-dugan-arrest-wisconsin-fbi-ice-public-safety.html
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/04/29/see-the-legal-players-in-the-case-against-milwaukee-judge-hannah-dugan/83327855007/
- Bloomberg Lawhttps://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/paul-clement-joins-arrested-milwaukee-judges-legal-team
- ABC Newshttps://abcnews.go.com/US/reserve-judge-handle-cases-milwaukee-judge-arrested-fbi/story?id=121230934
- NBC Newshttps://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/milwaukee-judge-suspended-hannah-dugan-rcna203629
- PBS News Hourhttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/wisconsin-high-court-suspends-milwaukee-judge-accused-of-helping-man-evade-immigration-authorities
- WISNhttps://www.wisn.com/article/prosecutors-release-new-details-in-judge-hannah-dugan-case/69293443
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/judge-hannah-dugan-ice-wisconsin.html
- Newsweekhttps://www.newsweek.com/judge-cites-trump-supreme-court-immunity-ruling-bid-dismiss-ice-case-2072333
- CBS Newshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/retired-judges-urge-federal-court-to-drop-charges-against-wisconsin-judge-hannah-dugan/
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/05/30/group-of-130-retired-judges-asks-court-to-drop-charges-against-hannah-dugan/83946735007
- tmj4.comhttps://www.tmj4.com/news/milwaukee-county/federal-judge-allows-case-against-wisconsin-judge-hannah-dugan-to-proceed
- CNNhttps://www.cnn.com/2025/12/15/politics/hannah-dugan-wisconsin-judge-immigration
- PBS NewsHourhttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trial-begins-for-wisconsin-judge-charged-with-helping-man-evade-immigration-agents
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2025/04/25/reactions-to-judge-hannah-dugans-arrest-by-fbi/83276195007/
- Axioshttps://www.axios.com/2025/04/25/hannah-dugan-trump-bondi-fbi-arrest
- Axioshttps://www.axios.com/2025/04/25/fbi-arrest-judge-hannah-dugan-wisconsin-congress
- Wisconsin Examinerhttps://wisconsinexaminer.com/briefs/fbi-arrests-milwaukee-county-judge/
- WTMJ (AM)https://wtmj.com/homepage-showcase/2025/04/25/milwaukee-city-leaders-react-to-judge-dugans-arrest/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/us/judges-trump-arrest-wisconsin-judge.html
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/04/25/protesters-decry-arrest-of-milwaukee-judge-charged-with-helping-immigrant-evade-ice/83274429007/
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinelhttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/04/26/protest-outside-fbi-office-slams-milwaukee-judge-hannah-dugans-arrest/83296034007/
- Canvass Results for 2016 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Vote – 4/5/2016https://elections.wi.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Canvass%2520Results_4.pdf
- County by County Report – 2022 Spring Electionhttps://elections.wi.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2022%20Spring%20Election%20Circuit%20Court%20County%20by%20County%20Results_0.pdf