The Milwaukee and national media are, in some cases, using biased euphemisms to describe the illegal immigrant accused strangler who Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of helping escape authorities.
Dugan is on trial in federal court in Wisconsin. The case now has a jury impaneled, but the euphemistic, subjective labeling in news stories continues to mislead the public. At least three news sites labeled the accused criminal involved, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an “undocumented man.” Words matter, because they can shape public opinion on a topic or case. He is an accused batterer, suffocator, strangler and domestic abuser.
Contrast the generic euphemistic language with the U.S. Department of Justice press release on the eventual arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz: “On April 18, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), assisted by deputized FBI law enforcement officials, carried out a targeted operation to arrest Flores-Ruiz, a violent criminal illegal alien at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. His laundry list of violent criminal charges includes strangulation and suffocation, battery, and domestic abuse.”
“Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a previously removed illegal alien has a laundry list of violent criminal charges, including strangulation and suffocation, battery, and domestic abuse. Judge Hannah Dugan’s actions to obstruct this violent criminal’s arrest take ‘activist judge’ to a whole new meaning,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal is OUT of our country. If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and remove you from our country. That’s a promise.”
DOJ noted: “Flores-Ruiz entered the U.S. illegally in 2013 and was arrested by Border Patrol in Nogales, Arizona and was removed to Mexico. He chose to commit a felony by illegally re-entering the U.S. at an unknown date and time.”
He was accused of intentionally elbowing a woman, causing her pain and bruising. Ruiz was also accused of striking his roommate 30 times with a closed fist and shouting obscenities when the man confronted him about the music, the complaint says. The roommate’s girlfriend tried to intervene, and Ruis struck her with a closed fist too and shoved her, the complaint says. He is also accused of grabbing the roommate by the neck.
Contrast:
ABC News: “Jury selection to begin in federal trial of Milwaukee judge accused of helping undocumented man evade arrest.”
620 WTMJ Milwaukee: “The jury has been chosen in the trial of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who is accused of helping an undocumented man hide from immigration authorities in court back in April.”
Fox 6 Milwaukee: “Federal prosecutors accuse Dugan of helping an undocumented man evade federal agents who were at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest him in April.”
NPR turned him into just “a man,” writing, “Jury selection begins in trial of judge accused of helping a man evade immigration.”
