'No one is above the law': AG Bondi blasts judges accused of helping undocumented immigrants evade arrest

The federal government announced two separate arrests Friday of a current judge and a former judge alleged to have assisted undocumented immigrants who authorities claim were violent criminals, moves that have raised red flags among Democrats and others.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested Friday by the FBI over allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest last week. Her arrest took place hours after federal authorities arrested former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano and his wife Nancy Cano for allegedly housing a Venezuelan national with reported gang ties, Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

Bondi spoke with ABC News Live's Kyra Phillips Friday afternoon to discuss the cases and dismissed critics who accused the Trump administration of intimidating judges who oppose their crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

"Nobody is above the law, not even a judge," Bondi told Philips.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Judge Dugan's arrest earlier Friday in a social media post, which was briefly deleted and reposted.

"Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week," Patel said in the new post. "We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest."

Dugan was charged with two criminal counts of "obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States" and "concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest," according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday.

County court records show the undocumented immigrant in the Milwaukee case -- Eduardo Flores-Ruiz -- was set to appear in court on April 18 before Dugan for a pretrial conference in a case where he has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of battery/domestic abuse connected to an incident on March 12. The case is ongoing.

Federal prosecutors allege Flores-Ruiz illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico and was issued an Expedited Removal order in January 2013, according to a criminal complaint.

Bondi alleged that Flores-Ruiz beat his roommate and a woman so badly that they needed to be hospitalized and that he continued to be belligerent in the hospital before his arrest.

According to the complaint, Dugan allegedly sought to help Flores-Ruiz evade arrest by federal officers from an ICE task force.

When Judge Dugan learned ICE officers were present in court to arrest Flores-Ruiz, she became "visibly angry" and said the situation was "absurd" before leaving the bench and entering her chambers, according to the complaint, which cited witnesses who spoke to the FBI.

Dugan and another unidentified judge then allegedly approached the arrest team in the public hallway, according to the complaint. She was "visibly upset and had a confrontational, angry demeanor" and asked one of the officers whether they were present for a court appearance, the complaint alleged.

When the officer replied they were there to make an arrest, the complaint alleges Judge Dugan asked if they had a judicial warrant, to which the officer responded, "No I have an administrative warrant."

Multiple witnesses cited in the complaint later allegedly said Judge Dugan returned to her courtroom after directing members of the arrest team to the office of the court's chief judge.

"The courtroom deputy then saw Judge DUGAN get up and heard Judge DUGAN say something like 'Wait, come with me,'" the complaint states. "Despite having been advised of the administrative warrant for the arrest of Flores-Ruiz, Judge DUGAN then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel out of the courtroom through the 'jury door,' which leads to a nonpublic area of the courthouse."

"So she continues, continues with her docket, finishes her docket. Two victims sit in court all morning long waiting and at the end. The prosecutors say 'What happened? Why didn't the case get called?'" Bondi said.

A DEA agent saw Flores-Ruiz and his attorney in the public hallway of the courthouse and he appeared to be making efforts to evade arrest, the complaint says. After he was encountered by FBI and DEA agents outside the building, Flores-Ruiz "turned around and sprinted down the street" before he was ultimately apprehended, according to the complaint.

Dugan was arrested Friday morning at the courthouse, a law enforcement official confirmed to ABC News.

She appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on Friday on the two charges, but did not enter a plea. She was released on her own recognizance.

Dugan retained former United States Attorney Steven Biskupic to represent her and he said in a statement that the judge will "defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated."

"Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge," Biskupic said in a statement.

If convicted on the charges, Dugan could face up to six years in prison.

Bondi responded to the statement by stating that everyone is entitled to their day in court but reiterated that so are victims of crimes.

"They didn't get it because she let a criminal defendant walk out a door. She helped them. She obstructed justice," Bondi told Phillips.

Judge Dugan's arrest angered Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who accused the federal agents of "showboating" and contended Dugan was not a flight risk.

"They're just trying to have this show of force and in the process of a courthouse where people need to go for court proceedings, they're scaring away people from participating in the court process," the mayor told reporters.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, in a statement on Friday afternoon, criticized President Donald Trump and the White House for what he said were efforts "to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level."

Evers said he would continue to have faith in the justice system "as this situation plays out in the court of law." He did not mention Dugan by name.

In an interview Friday, Phillips asked AG Bondi if she thought the government's actions were intimidating people in the court system, but she dodged the question.

"We're attempting to protect citizens, make America safe again," she said.

Bondi brought up the New Mexico case, where former Judge Joel Cano faces a charge of tampering with evidence.

Court documents allege that on Feb. 28, an alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang member was arrested at the Canos' residence.

On April 24, agents served a search warrant at their residence and conducted an interview with Cano where he admitted to destroying a cell phone that belonged to the alleged gang member by smashing it with a hammer and throwing it in the trash, according to the complaint and Bondi.

"Cano stated that he destroyed the cellphone and further admitted that he believed the cellphone contained photos or videos that would reflect negatively on Ortega," the complaint states. "Through further questioning, agents ascertained that … Cano destroyed the cellphone believing that it contained photographs of Ortega holding firearms that Ortega had uploaded onto social media platforms which would be additional incriminating evidence against him."

Cano and his wife have not yet entered pleas in their cases, according to court records, and did not immediately have defense attorneys listed for them.

Bondi reiterated that the immigrants connected to the judges were allegedly violent.

Phillips again pushed Bondi about the arrests, asking if there was concern that the federal government was just going after judges, but the AG maintained that the charges were serious.

"Those are the people that have to be arrested and taken out of our country. Doesn't matter who you are, no one can harbor them, not even a judge," she said.

Phillips questioned how far the government was willing to go to arrest undocumented immigrants, and if that meant that mayors and governors could be targeted.

Bondi appeared to dodge the question and reiterated that the administration's goal is to keep people safe.

"I would hope a mayor, I would hope a governor would never harbor anyone," she said.