In a moment of rare candor that cuts to the heart of America’s immigration and rule-of-law debate, New York Times columnist David Brooks offered a nuanced take on the case of Judge Hannah Dugan, the Wisconsin judge now facing criminal charges for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
This might just be the greatest example of the hypocrisy on the radical left.
Listen to the difference between MSNBC’s reaction to Trump’s arrest versus a radical leftist judge. pic.twitter.com/1G4Zw3Mu6O— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) April 26, 2025
During an appearance on PBS Newshour Friday, Brooks commented on the explosive allegations: that Judge Dugan escorted previously deported Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz through a restricted jury exit, deliberately bypassing ICE agents who were waiting in a public area after his hearing. According to a criminal complaint, Dugan even ordered officers to report to the chief judge’s office, creating a diversion to facilitate Flores-Ruiz’s escape — a sequence that authorities say constitutes obstruction of an official proceeding.
The same political party that arrested a PRESIDENT on made up “crimes” is now feigning outrage about arresting a judge who allegedly committed a felony.
The Trump administration just sent a message: if you help illegal immigrants violate federal law, there will be consequences. pic.twitter.com/nTvrkJ42vn
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) April 26, 2025
Brooks, acknowledging that he did not know all the intricate details of the case, still framed the situation as a moral paradox. “It strikes me as maybe something illegal, but it also strikes me as something heroic,” Brooks stated. He argued that civil disobedience has historically played a crucial role in moments of societal upheaval, suggesting that if Dugan indeed broke the law, it was part of a higher moral calling — but one that rightly demands consequences.
The network that showed up with cameras at 3 am to film Roger Stone getting perp walked by a corrupt FBI has the audacity to talk about the optics of arresting a judge who facilitated the evasion of arrest by an illegal immigrant?
Astounding. pic.twitter.com/yoN3oR07y7
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) April 27, 2025
“And in my view, when people do civil disobedience, they have to pay the price. That’s part of the heroism of it, frankly,” Brooks added, offering a perspective that praises Dugan’s possible motivations while not excusing the legal ramifications.
Understand what this is: If Kash Patel and Donald Trump don’t like a judge, they think they can arrest them. This is stunning — we must stand up to this blatant power grab.
Republicans: How is this not a red line for you?
— Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) April 25, 2025
The case against Flores-Ruiz, meanwhile, paints a complicated picture. Facing three misdemeanor battery charges tied to separate incidents of violence, he had already been deported once before — and had re-entered the United States without legal permission. When ICE agents attempted to apprehend him outside court on April 18, he fled on foot, only to be arrested shortly thereafter.
