Trump asks to accuse the federal judge who failed against his deportations

Policy

Trump described the American district judge James E. Boasberg as a “uprising and agitator” not chosen.

By Chris Megerian, Associated Press

Updated on March 18, 2025 | 11:28 am

3 minutes to read

Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a federal judge tried to stop his deportation plans should be accused, climbing his conflict with a judiciary that has been one of the few restrictions in the aggressive plans of his administration.

Trump has routinely criticized judges, especially because they limit their efforts to expand presidential power and impose its radical agenda to the federal government. But his call to the accusation, a rare step that is generally taken only in cases of severe ethical or criminal misconduct, represents an intensifying clash between the judicial and executive branches.

The Republican president described the American district judge James E. Boasberg in Washington, as a “uprising and agitator” not chosen in a publication about Truth Social, his social media platform. Boasberg recently issued a deportation flight blocking order under the War authorities of a law of the 18th century that Trump invoked to carry out his plans.

“He won anything! I won for many reasons, in an overwhelming mandate, but the fight against illegal immigration may have been the number one reason for this historical victory,” Trump wrote on Tuesday. “I’m just doing what voters wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the crooked judges, is forced to appear before, should be accused!”

The Alien enemies Law of 1798 has been used only three times before in the history of the United States, all during the declared wars of Congress. Trump issued a proclamation that the law was in force due to what he said it was an invasion of the Venezuelan gang of Aragua. His administration is paying El Salvador to imprison alleged members of the gang.

Boasberg, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, summoned a hearing on Monday to discuss what he called “possible challenge” of his order after two deportation flights continued to El Salvador despite his verbal order to be given to the United States.

The Trump administration lawyers defended their actions, saying that Boasberg’s written order was not explicit, while an American lawyer for civil liberties said “I think we are approaching a lot” to a constitutional crisis.

The Constitution gives the House of Representatives, where Republicans have a thin majority, the power to accuse a judge with a simple majority vote. But, as a presidential political trial, any elimination requires a vote of a two -thirds majority of the Senate.

The last publication of social networks of the president aligns him more with allies such as Elon Musk, who has made similar demands.

“What we are seeing is an attempt at a government branch to intimidate another branch to carry out its constitutional duty. It is a direct threat to judicial independence,” Marin Levy, a law professor at Duke’s University who specializes in federal courts, said in an email.

Only one day before, the White House Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said: “I have not heard the president talk about accusing judges.”

Only 15 judges have been accused in the history of the Nation, according to the government courts of the US courts, and only eight have been eliminated.

The last judicial trial was in 2010. G. Thomas Porteous Jr. of New Orleans was accused of charges that accepted bribes and then lied about it. He was sentenced by the Senate and withdrawn from office in December 2010.

The calls to the dismissal judges have been increasing as Trump’s radical agenda faces rejection in court, and at least two members of the congress have said online that they plan to present articles of political trial against Boasberg. Republicans of the House of Representatives have already presented articles of political trial against two other judges, Amir Ali and Paul Engelmayer, for decisions they have made in demands related to Trump.

Associated Press Lindsay Whitehurst and Mark Sherman’s writers contributed to this report.