The Trump administration’s war on the judiciary deepened on Friday as the FBI arrested a county circuit judge on charges of obstruction, accusing her of helping a man evade immigration authorities as they sought his arrest at her courthouse.
The judge, Hannah Dugan, was apprehended in the courthouse where she works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a spokesperson for the US Marshals Service confirmed to the Guardian. Kash Patel, the Trump-appointed FBI director, wrote on X that he believed Dugan “intentionally misdirected federal agents away from” Eduardo Flores Ruiz, who he called an “illegal alien”. Agents “chased down” the man and arrested him later, he added.
The case is the latest in a string of attacks by the Trump administration and federal agencies on judges who make decisions that challenge the government’s attempts to overhaul the country’s immigration system or slow its deportations program.
Here are the key stories at a glance:
Dugan vows to ‘defend herself vigorously’
Hannah Dugan will appear in court again on 15 May and “looks forward to be exonerated”, an attorney for the judge said in a statement, published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Hannah C Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge,” it said, adding that she “will defend herself vigorously”.
Leftwing senator Bernie Sanders accused the Trump administration of “moving this country towards authoritarianism” in response to Dugan’s arrest, while Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren said the case “rings serious alarm bells”.
Son of CIA deputy director killed while fighting for Russia, report says
An American man identified as the son of a deputy director of the CIA was killed in eastern Ukraine in 2024 while fighting under contract for the Russian military, according to an investigation by independent Russian media.
Michael Alexander Gloss, 21, died on 4 April last year in “eastern Europe”, according to an obituary published by his family. He was the son of Juliane Gallina, who was appointed the deputy director for digital innovation at the Central Intelligence Agency in February 2024.
Witkoff meets Putin hours after killing of Russian general
Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has met Vladimir Putin in Moscow for high-stakes peace talks hours after a senior Russian military official was killed in a car explosion near Moscow. But no apparent breakthrough was reached on Friday.
Santos given seven-year prison term
George Santos, the disgraced former representative, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on Friday, bringing an end to an extraordinary controversy that began with a fraudulent congressional campaign.
Attorney general rescinds Biden-era protections for journalists
Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, has revoked a Biden administration-era policy that restricted subpoenas of reporters’ phone records in criminal investigations. An internal memo, first reported by ABC News, shows Bondi rescinding protections issued by her predecessor, Merrick Garland, for members of the media from having their records seized or being forced to testify in the course of leak investigations.
Hegseth’s controversial chief of staff leaves unexpectedly
Joe Kasper, the controversial chief of staff to the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who was central to a dramatic power struggle at the Pentagon, has left his post in an unexpected departure.
Trump administration investigates California university over foreign gifts
The Trump administration launched an investigation into the University of California, Berkeley, centered on foreign funding, making it the latest university to be targeted by the federal government.
The investigation revives criticism from several years ago about the university’s partnership with China’s Tsinghua University. It comes after Trump earlier this week signed a series of executive orders focused on universities that he views as liberal adversaries to his political agenda.
What else happened today:
High-profile Democrats call on the Trump administration to release Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk from detention, warning the White House is engaging in “repression”.
Xi Jinping has announced plans to counter China’s economic fallout from the US trade war, as reports swirl it could drop tariffs on some US products, including semiconductors.
US consumer sentiment plummeted in April after Trump’s trade war threw the global economy into chaos, according to a new report.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 24 April 2025.
