Chief Justice John Roberts has publicly criticized President Donald Trump’s call for the impeachment of a federal trial judge. This judge, James Boasberg, had temporarily barred the federal government from deporting noncitizens based on an executive order. The order was related to Trump’s efforts to deport alleged members of a Venezuelan gang, invoking the Alien Enemies Act—a law from 1798 used only three times before.
President Trump’s executive order relied on the Alien Enemies Act, allowing the president to detain or deport citizens of an enemy nation without judicial review in times of war or invasion. Trump identified the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, as a threat to the United States, making its members liable for apprehension and deportation.
On the day of the executive order’s publication, Judge Boasberg prohibited the deportation of noncitizens for 14 days. He also ordered the Trump administration to return any flights that had already departed. Despite this, over 200 noncitizens were deported to El Salvador, with news outlets reporting these actions before Boasberg’s order was issued.
Boasberg held a hearing on March 17 to determine if the Trump administration had violated his order. A Department of Justice lawyer, citing national security, did not answer the judge’s questions but insisted no violation had occurred.
Trump, on Truth Social, argued for Boasberg’s impeachment. In response, Chief Justice Roberts stated that impeachment is not an appropriate reaction to judicial decisions and that the appellate review process exists for such disagreements. This is not the first time Roberts has countered Trump; in 2018, he rejected the notion of ‘Obama judges’ or ‘Trump judges,’ emphasizing the independence of the judiciary.
