Dan Abrams Shreds Media Pundits Framing Milwaukee Judge’s Arrest as Trump Crack Down
Mediaite founder Dan Abrams slammed pundits tying the arrest of a Milwaukee judge for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant “evade arrest” to President Donald Trump’s ongoing battles with the courts over rulings, arguing that if the prosecution’s version of events are true, the case stands apart because the judge “did violate the law.”
Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested on Friday after allegedly helping a defendant – Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz – “evade” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who were there to arrest him at the courthouse. Flores-Ruiz was arrested outside the building while attempting to flee with his attorney, according to reports.
In response, some Democrats and media pundits rebuked the move as a Trump administration attack on the judiciary amid ongoing legal battles over his policies.
During Monday’s episode of The Dan Abrams Show, broadcast live on SiriusXM, the host contested that framing head on.
“This is not comparable to the rest of the issues that are arising,” Abrams said.
After repeating his opposition to “real problems,” including the Trump administration’s “disregard” of judicial rulings they “may not like,” and penchant for “going after law firms” who take up certain positions, the host pivoted to the Milwaukee judge’s case.
“When a judge tries to sneak a guy out the back door who ICE is looking to arrest, that has nothing to do with enforcement of the law. In fact, it’s just the opposite,” Abrams said. “And I think many on the left, many in the media, many in the legal world are doing a grave disservice to these issues, these other issues, by lumping it all in together.”
Citing headlines from the Washington Post (“Trump’s battle with courts”) to NBC News (“Trump escalates his war on the judiciary”), Abrams argued the framing is wildly off-base.
The host went on to run through the reported detail of the incident, which shares how upon learning that ICE agents were there to seize the defendant, Dugan allegedly “ushered” Flores-Ruiz into a “non-public area of the courthouse” before agents spotted him attempting to leave. Agents moved to arrest Dugan a week later.
“If what the arrest report indicates is true, this judge did violate the law,” he continued. “Maybe it’s a law she doesn’t agree with but my whole point is that there is an elevated standard for judges. We have to treat judges a bit more respect and respect their rulings, but this isn’t a ruling, that’s the difference here. This is a judge sneaking someone out the back door.”
Abrams did criticize the optics of the courthouse arrest — calling it “performative” — but stood firm that prosecuting a judge who allegedly “sneaks someone out the back door” is not an attack on judicial independence.
He also reminded viewers that a similar case played out in 2018, when a Massachusetts judge was indicted for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade ICE.
“So please spare me the sort of, ‘Oh, this is just another example of the administration –’ No! It’s not. It’s a completely different example,” Abrams concluded. “And I think it is really dangerous for the media and the left and the legal community to say, ‘Oh, this is just another example of the war on judges.’”
Watch above via YouTube.
