Republican Moves Against Judge Despite Justice John Roberts' Warning

The growing battle over President Donald Trump's plans for mass deportations for illegal immigrants has taken a further twist as Representative Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, tries to get U.S. District Judge James "Jeb" Boasberg impeached over what he described as his "unconstitutional" objection to the plan.

Conservative U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, meanwhile, intervened against the backlash targeting the judge, stating, "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision," emphasizing that "the normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."

Newsweek has reached out by email to the offices of Gill and Boasberg seeking further information and comment.

Why It Matters

The dispute comes amid a much-publicized crackdown on illegal immigration by the Trump administration, which has dramatically rounded-up suspects and conducted a string of immigration raids.

On March 15, Boasberg temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using an 18th-century wartime law—the Alien Enemies Act—to accelerate the deportation of alleged Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang members. The judge said he was concerned the process contained no legal remedy for potentially innocent men to contest the allegations they were gang members.

Trump himself reacted with fury and supported the removal of Boasberg, branding him "crooked" and claiming many of his supporters were calling for the judge to be impeached.

Roberts' comments seem to have been disregarded as Gill revealed he has escalated the situation by formally filing articles of impeachment against Boasberg who was first named to D.C. local courts as a judge by Republican President George W. Bush and later elevated to the federal district court by Democratic President Barack Obama.

What To Know

Gill explained why he had decided to act during an interview with CBS News on Sunday.

When asked what he made of Roberts' assertion that the normal appeal process was sufficient to resolve a disagreement between the judiciary and the government, the congressman replied: "I would love to see this ruling appealed. But I'd love to see this appealed quickly...This cannot be a months-long or a years-long process...I think that impeachment is a proper response here."

He added: "The American people gave President Trump a mandate to both secure the border and to deport illegal aliens. Remember: Tren de Aragua is one of the most grotesque drug organizations in the entire world. These are people that not only murder and rape little girls in America, but they derive sadistic pleasure in torturing their victims; these are the people that that judge demanded come back into our communities."

Impeaching a federal judge is not typically a response to potentially unpopular rulings, but rather to allegations of misconduct or other serious violations. The process usually begins with an investigation, followed by the introduction of articles of impeachment to the House Judiciary Committee.

If passed through the judiciary committee, the articles would then arrive on the House floor. A simple majority vote is required to pass the articles in the House. While Republicans hold a narrow majority, it is not guaranteed that all GOP members would support the move, as many have already expressed doubt on the matter.

If the articles of impeachment introduced by Gill are passed, the process would move to the Senate. The articles require a two-thirds majority vote, an outcome considered highly unlikely given the slim Republican majority and the need for significant Democratic support.

Gill's impeachment resolution currently has 16 co-sponsors, including GOP Representatives Andy Biggs of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, among others.

What People Are Saying

Discussing why he felt he had to temporarily block the deportation flights, Judge James Boasberg said he was worried that the men being deported had no legal recourse to challenge the accusations against them. "The policy ramifications of this are incredibly troublesome and problematic and concerning," he said.

Representative Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, said, per CBS News: "Judge James Boasberg, a rogue D.C. judge, has abused his power of the judiciary, weaponized the judiciary, politicized it, to usurp President Trump's clear plenary, Article II powers as commander in chief. Remember, he did this for the purpose of turning a plane mid-air full of some of the most violent, brutal, ruthless terrorists to demand that they come back into our communities. That is a usurpation of power, it's unconstitutional, and it's wrong."

Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Texas Democrat, per CBS News: "The idea that anyone should be given permission to violate a court order, no matter who you are? You don't have that right...At the end of the day, if you have a branch of government that says, 'I'm going to ignore you because I am above you,' then that is a problem."

She described moves to impeach the judge as "ridiculous" and said those who made such demands need an "education of the basics." She also made a point of saying that she didn't want any "bad guys" in the U.S. either but noted the rule of law must be respected and that the Trump administration "continues to overreach."

Cheryl Bader, a Fordham Law School professor, told Newsweek in an email Saturday: "I know of no precedent for impeaching a judge because a separate branch of government is unhappy with the judge's ruling and wants to punish the judge rather than go through the proper appeals process. This is a disturbing congressional assault on an independent judiciary."

Representative Dusty Johnson, a South Dakota Republican, told The Hill: "We shouldn't impeach judges because they render a decision we disagree with. The remedy for bad decisions is getting them overturned on appeal."

What Happens Next?

Ultimately, Boasberg's impeachment remains highly unlikely. Judicial impeachments are rare; just over a dozen federal judges have been impeached in U.S. history, according to the Federal Judicial Center.

The Trump administration continues to fight the measure in court with Boasberg presiding over the case, who said in a March 20 filing that the materials the government have provided are "woefully insufficient."

Boasberg has ordered the government to submit a declaration stating whether it is invoking the state secrets privilege, and to file a brief by March 25 "showing cause why they did not violate the Court's Temporary Restraining Orders by failing to return class members removed from the United States on the two earliest planes that departed on March 15, 2025," according to court documents reviewed by Newsweek.