Overview
- Newly released surveillance footage appears to show Judge Hannah Dugan directing ICE agents away from Eduardo Flores-Ruiz while facilitating his exit through a private courthouse door.
- Flores-Ruiz, a twice-deported Mexican national with a violent criminal record, was later apprehended after a foot chase outside the courthouse.
- Judge Dugan, who has pleaded not guilty to federal obstruction charges, is seeking dismissal of the case based on judicial immunity claims.
- The Trump administration has defended the arrest as part of its aggressive immigration enforcement policy, drawing sharp criticism from legal experts and Democrats over judicial independence concerns.
- The case is heading toward a jury trial on July 21, with the released video expected to play a central role in the prosecution's argument.