MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An immigrant who was arrested after a Milwaukee judge allegedly helped him dodge federal agents has been deported.
Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, pleaded guilty in September to illegally reentering the United States after reaching a deal with prosecutors. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security tweeted Friday afternoon that he has now been deported.
The tweet did not indicate whether he was transported back to Mexico or another country. The Associated Press reached out to his attorney, Martin Pruhs, for further details but did not receive an immediate response.
Flores-Ruiz is at the center of a case that could land Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan in prison.
According to court documents, Flores-Ruiz left Mexico at age 18 in 2013 and entered the U.S. illegally. He was immediately apprehended and deported after crossing the border, only to reenter a few days later, eventually settling in Milwaukee where he worked in various restaurants for about 12 years.
He faced three counts of misdemeanor battery in March following a fight with his roommate. U.S. immigration agents discovered his illegal status after his fingerprints were sent to federal databases via the Milwaukee County Jail.
Flores-Ruiz was slated to appear at a hearing before Dugan on April 18. Immigration agents intended to arrest him there, but prosecutors allege Dugan learned of the plan and discreetly led him out of her courtroom through a private exit, allowing him to escape. U.S. agents later apprehended him after a chase.
A federal grand jury indicted Judge Dugan in May on charges of obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest. She is scheduled to stand trial beginning December 15, facing up to six years in prison if convicted.
“Judge Hannah Dugan's actions to obstruct this violent criminal's arrest take 'activist judge' to a whole new meaning,” stated the Department of Homeland Security in a tweet. “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal is OUT of our country.”
Dugan has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that she has the right to manage her courtroom. Her legal team previously submitted briefs indicating that Milwaukee County's Chief Judge sent an email to judges before Flores-Ruiz's arrest stating that courts should remain safe havens from immigration enforcement.
Flores-Ruiz spent about seven months in custody. State prosecutors dismissed two of the battery charges in October, and he pleaded guilty to the remaining charge, receiving a sentence of time served.
U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper sentenced him to time served regarding the illegal entry charge on November 6, following a plea agreement that stipulated he would not contest his deportation.
