US President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on the judiciary, calling for the impeachment of a federal judge who recently suspended high-profile deportation flights of alleged illegal migrants.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, March 18, Trump declared, “This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED.”
The judge in question, District Judge James Boasberg, had ordered a suspension of the deportation of over 200 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to prisons in El Salvador. The White House had justified the deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely invoked wartime law. However, no public evidence has been presented to confirm the deportees’ gang affiliations or immigration status.
Trump’s remarks quickly gained traction, with Republican lawmaker Brandon Gill from Texas announcing on X (formerly Twitter) that impeachment articles against the judge would be introduced in the House “very soon.”
Judge Boasberg held a hearing on Monday to determine whether the White House had ignored his orders by proceeding with the flights. However, Justice Department lawyers argued that the deportations had already been completed before the judge’s order took effect. They also contended that Boasberg no longer had jurisdiction once the planes left US airspace.
Trump, who has a history of criticizing judges involved in his civil and criminal cases, intensified his rhetoric, calling Boasberg a “Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama.”
The judge, however, has a bipartisan background—initially appointed to the DC Superior Court by former Republican President George W. Bush and later elevated to a district court position by Obama.
Legal experts warn that Trump’s calls for impeachment could further erode trust in the judicial system. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts previously cautioned against disregarding court rulings, emphasizing in a year-end letter that such actions could pose a constitutional crisis.
Meanwhile, Trump remains steadfast in his stance on immigration, declaring, “I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY.”
With Trump’s call for impeachment gaining momentum among Republican lawmakers, the situation could further escalate tensions between the executive and judiciary branches.
