Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a 31-year-old immigrant, has been sentenced to time served after being arrested for illegally reentering the United States. The case garnered significant attention due to allegations that a Wisconsin judge assisted him in evading federal immigration agents during his court proceedings. The sentencing took place on a Wednesday in Milwaukee, where U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper presided over the hearing. Flores-Ruiz had already spent nearly seven months in jail following his arrest in April.
During the sentencing, Judge Pepper cautioned Flores-Ruiz that any future attempts to reenter the U.S. illegally would result in much harsher penalties. She expressed hope that he would find a way to make a living in his home country rather than returning to the United States. Flores-Ruiz, speaking through a translator, apologized for his unauthorized entry, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work in the U.S., and promised never to return.
Flores-Ruiz’s background sheds light on the challenges that led to his immigration status. According to a presentencing memo filed by his attorney, he grew up near Michoacán, Mexico, where he worked alongside his father as a fisherman and frog catcher—a trade tied to a local delicacy involving frog legs. Seeking better economic opportunities, Flores-Ruiz first crossed into the United States from Nogales, Mexico, in 2013 at the age of 18. However, shortly after crossing, he was apprehended along with a group of migrants and deported immediately.
Undeterred, Flores-Ruiz reentered the country just a few days later. During this attempt, he became lost in the Arizona desert for about a month before eventually finding his way to Milwaukee. There, he joined relatives and spent approximately 12 years working in various restaurants and food trucks, trying to build a stable life.
The legal troubles that led to Flores-Ruiz’s arrest began in March when state prosecutors charged him with three counts of misdemeanor battery related to a fight with his roommate. While he was in custody at the Milwaukee County Jail, his fingerprints were submitted to federal databases, revealing his illegal immigration status. This prompted federal immigration agents to plan his arrest.
On April 18, federal agents went to the Milwaukee County Courthouse intending to take Flores-Ruiz into custody when he appeared for a hearing. At that time, Judge Hannah Dugan was presiding over his case. According to an FBI affidavit, upon learning that federal agents were in the building searching for Flores-Ruiz, Judge Dugan escorted him out of her courtroom through a restricted door typically reserved for deputies, jurors, court staff, and in-custody defendants. This action allegedly helped him evade immediate arrest.
Despite the judge’s intervention, federal agents eventually caught Flores-Ruiz after a foot chase outside the courthouse. A week later, Judge Dugan was arrested and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of obstruction of justice and concealing an individual to prevent arrest. The indictment marked a significant development in the case, with her trial scheduled to begin on December 15. Throughout the process, Dugan has denied any wrongdoing.
The involvement of Judge Dugan has intensified tensions between the Trump administration and local authorities in Wisconsin. The administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies have frequently clashed with local officials and judges, many of whom have expressed opposition to the federal crackdown. Democrats have criticized the administration’s prosecution of Judge Dugan, suggesting it is an attempt to intimidate judicial officials who resist immigration enforcement efforts.
Following his arrest outside the courthouse, Flores-Ruiz was federally charged with illegally reentering the United States. He has been held on an immigration detainer at the Ozaukee County Jail for almost seven months. In September, he pleaded guilty to the federal charge and agreed not to contest deportation as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. In return, prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of time served, avoiding the possibility of a prison term of up to two years.
In the state battery case, prosecutors dropped two of the three misdemeanor charges in October after Flores-Ruiz agreed to plead no contest to the remaining charge. He received a sentence of time served in that matter as well.
Martin Pruhs, Flores-Ruiz’s federal defense attorney, confirmed via email that Flores-Ruiz is currently in custody at the Dodge County Jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, awaiting deportation. Pruhs declined to provide further