FBI agents, on Friday morning, swooped in to arrest county judge Hannah Dugan in Milwaukee over allegations of obstruction of justice, particularly that she helped hide an illegal immigrant to block his arrest by federal officials.

At issue was that Ms Dugan allowed Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz use a side door to escape FBI and DEA officials who were waiting outside courtroom 615 to apprehend him.

FBI Special Agent Lindsay Schloemer filed a criminal complaint against Ms Dugan, accusing her of allowing Mr Flores-Ruiz escape through a “jury door” meant for members of a jury, court staff and in-custody defendants.

Prosecutors argued that Mr Flores-Ruiz was not an in-custody defendant, hence, was not entitled to leave the courtroom through the side door.

“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,” stated the complaint, filed by the FBI.

The FBI claimed Ms Dugan was furious and “confrontational” after she learnt that agents were in front of her courtroom to take the Mexican defendant into custody after his hearing on April 18. She asked the agents to inform the court’s chief judge.

But a DEA agent quickly alerted his colleagues after he saw Mr Flores-Ruiz exiting the court building. The incident led to a hot foot chase that ended in the defendant’s arrest.

The FBI, aggrieved by how the event played out, sought Ms Dugan’s arrest and prosecution over the matter.

David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, rebuked the FBI, accusing the bureau of attempting to scapegoat the judge.

“It is clear that the F.B.I. is politicising this situation to make an example of her and others across the country who oppose their attack on the judicial system and our nation’s immigration laws,” Mr Crowley said in a statement.

But Attorney General Pam Bondi justified Ms Dugan’s arrest saying anyone found protecting a criminal defendant will face the law regardless of their positions.

According to Ms Bondi, “escorting a criminal defendant out a back door” is tantamount to obstruction of justice and she stated that “it will not be tolerated.”

“It doesn’t matter who you are, you’re going to be prosecuted,” she said.