Latest news with #El Salvador
CNN
3 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Trump Administration files a second complaint against a federal judge
The Department of Justice has filed a misconduct complaint against US District Court Judge James Boasberg – marking another formal challenge against a federal judge who has pushed back on the Trump administration's policies. The complaint, submitted Monday and obtained by CNN, alleges that Boasberg, the DC judge at the center of cases involving the administration's use of a colonial-era law to send undocumented immigrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador, made comments about President Donald Trump at a Judicial Conference meeting in March that 'undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.' 'While there, Judge Boasberg attempted to improperly influence Chief Justice (John) Roberts and roughly two dozen other federal judges by straying from the traditional topics to express his belief that the Trump Administration would 'disregard rulings of federal courts' and trigger 'a constitutional crisis,'' Attorney General Pamela Bondi's chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, said in the complaint. 'Although his comments would be inappropriate even if they had some basis, they were even worse because Judge Boasberg had no basis,' Mizelle argued, insisting that the Trump administration has complied with court orders. The complaint alleges that days after making the statements, Boasberg 'began acting on his preconceived belief that the Trump Administration would not follow court orders,' pointing to the judge's order restricting the administration's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The Federalist reported on Boasberg's remarks at the conference earlier this month, citing a memorandum it obtained. In response to the concerns raised by Boasberg at the conference, 'Chief Justice Roberts expressed hope that would not happen and in turn no constitutional crisis would materialize,' according to the memorandum. Bondi said on social media Monday night the complaint came at her direction, arguing that Boasberg's 'comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary, and we will not stand for that.' CNN has reached out to Boasberg for comment. The move is yet another escalation in the Trump administration's conflicts with the judiciary and comes after the Department of Justice filed another misconduct complaint against a DC district court judge earlier this year. In February, the department accused Judge Ana Reyes of misconduct during hearings over Trump's executive order that called for banning transgender troops from serving in the US military, the Associated Press reported. The complaint against Boasberg asks the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Sri Srinivasan, to refer the complaint to a special investigative committee, reassign Boasberg's relevant cases to another judge, and 'impose appropriate disciplinary action, including a public reprimand and referral to the Judicial Conference for consideration of impeachment-related recommendations, if the committee finds willful misconduct.' It's extremely unusual for the Justice Department to complain formally about a judge's behavior rather than pursue its agenda through the court system directly. It is also unusual for a public debate to erupt around conversations between judges, which rarely come to light, at their private annual events. Trump's rhetoric opposing the judiciary has been far more aggressive than during his first term. In March, Trump labeled Boasberg a 'Radical Left Lunatic Judge' and called for his impeachment on social media. The action drew a rare rebuke from Roberts, who made a highly unusual statement shortly after Trump's posts. Federal judges hold lifetime appointments, and their impeachment and removal is extremely rare. The House of Representatives has impeached only 15 federal judges since 1803, and eight of those impeachments were followed by convictions in the Senate, according to New York University's Brennan Center for Justice. Boasberg had a relatively nonpartisan record before facing Trump's fury, CNN has previously reported. He was appointed to the DC district court by former President Barack Obama and was previously named to DC's local courts by former President George W. Bush. Boasberg was known for giving lenient punishments to January 6 rioters. In Trump's first term, he released FISA court materials that exposed huge problems with the FBI's probe into connections between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia's election meddling. He also paved the way for conservative groups to obtain some of Hillary Clinton's emails from her private server. CNN's Hannah Rabinowitz, Katelyn Polantz, Tierney Sneed, John Fritze, Marshall Cohen and Casey Gannon contributed to this report.
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Justice department files misconduct complaint against federal judge handling deportation case
The Justice Department on Monday filed a misconduct complaint against the federal judge who has clashed with President Donald Trump's administration over deportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Escalating the administration's conflict with US District Judge James E. Boasberg, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that she directed the filing of the complaint against Boasberg for making improper public comments about President Trump and his administration. The complaint stems from remarks Boasberg allegedly made in March to Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges, saying the administration would trigger a constitutional crisis by disregarding federal court rulings, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press. The comments have undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, the complaint says, adding that the administration has always complied with all court orders. Boasberg is among several judges who have questioned whether the administration has complied with their orders. The meeting took place days before Boasberg issued an order blocking deportation flights that Trump was carrying out by invoking wartime authorities from an 18th century law. The judge's verbal order to turn around planes that were on the way to El Salvador was ignored. Boasberg has since found probable cause that the administration committed contempt of court. The comments were supposedly made during a meeting of the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary's governing body. The remarks were first reported by the conservative website The Federalist, which said it obtained a memo summarizing the meeting. Boasberg, the chief judge in the district court in the nation's capital, is a member of the Judicial Conference. Its meetings are not public. The complaint calls for an investigation, the reassignment of the deportations case to another judge while the inquiry is ongoing, and sanctions, including the possible recommendation of impeachment if the investigation substantiates the allegations. Trump himself already has called for Boasberg's impeachment, which in turn prompted a rare response from Roberts rejecting the call. The complaint was filed with Judge Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. More than 250 Venezuelans who were deported to a Salvadoran mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center or CECOT were sent home to Venezuela earlier this month in a deal that also freed 10 US citizens and permanent residents who had been held by Venezuela. But the lawsuit over the deportations and the administration's response to Boasberg's order remains in his court.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Justice Department files misconduct complaint against federal judge handling deportation case
The Justice Department on Monday filed a misconduct complaint against the federal judge who has clashed with President Donald Trump 's administration over deportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Escalating the administration's conflict with U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that she directed the filing of the complaint against Boasberg 'for making improper public comments about President Trump and his administration.' The complaint stems from remarks Boasberg allegedly made in March to Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges saying the administration would trigger a constitutional crisis by disregarding federal court rulings, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press. The comments 'have undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary,' the complaint says, adding that the administration has 'always complied with all court orders.' Boasberg is among several judges who have questioned whether the administration has complied with their orders. The meeting took place days before Boasberg issued an order blocking deportation flights that Trump was carrying out by invoking wartime authorities from an 18th century law. The judge's verbal order to turn around planes that were on the way to El Salvador was ignored. Boasberg has since found probable cause that the administration committed contempt of court. The comments were supposedly made during a meeting of the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary's governing body. The remarks were first reported by the conservative website The Federalist, which said it obtained a memo summarizing the meeting. Boasberg, the chief judge in the district court in the nation's capital, is a member of the Judicial Conference. Its meetings are not public. The complaint calls for an investigation, the reassignment of the deportations case to another judge while the inquiry is ongoing and sanctions, including the possible recommendation of impeachment, if the investigation substantiates the allegations. Trump himself already has called for Boasberg's impeachment, which in turn prompted a rare response from Roberts rejecting the call. The complaint was filed with Judge Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. More than 250 Venezuelans who were deported to a Salvadoran mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, were sent home to Venezuela earlier this month in a deal that also free 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents who had been held by Venezuela. But the lawsuit over the deportations and the administration's response to Boasberg's order remains in his court.
Associated Press
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Justice Department files misconduct complaint against federal judge handling deportation case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Monday filed a misconduct complaint against the federal judge who has clashed with President Donald Trump 's administration over deportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Escalating the administration's conflict with U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that she directed the filing of the complaint against Boasberg 'for making improper public comments about President Trump and his administration.' The complaint stems from remarks Boasberg allegedly made in March to Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges saying the administration would trigger a constitutional crisis by disregarding federal court rulings, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press. The comments 'have undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary,' the complaint says, adding that the administration has 'always complied with all court orders.' Boasberg is among several judges who have questioned whether the administration has complied with their orders. The meeting took place days before Boasberg issued an order blocking deportation flights that Trump was carrying out by invoking wartime authorities from an 18th century law. The judge's verbal order to turn around planes that were on the way to El Salvador was ignored. Boasberg has since found probable cause that the administration committed contempt of court. The comments were supposedly made during a meeting of the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary's governing body. The remarks were first reported by the conservative website The Federalist, which said it obtained a memo summarizing the meeting. Boasberg, the chief judge in the district court in the nation's capital, is a member of the Judicial Conference. Its meetings are not public. The complaint calls for an investigation, the reassignment of the deportations case to another judge while the inquiry is ongoing and sanctions, including the possible recommendation of impeachment, if the investigation substantiates the allegations. Trump himself already has called for Boasberg's impeachment, which in turn prompted a rare response from Roberts rejecting the call. The complaint was filed with Judge Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. More than 250 Venezuelans who were deported to a Salvadoran mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, were sent home to Venezuela earlier this month in a deal that also free 10 U.S. citizens and permanent residents who had been held by Venezuela. But the lawsuit over the deportations and the administration's response to Boasberg's order remains in his court.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Kilmar Ábrego García must be released from jail as he awaits trial, judge rules
A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Kilmar Ábrego García must be released from jail as he awaits trial on human smuggling charges. The decision from judge Waverly Crenshaw means that Donald Trump's administration can potentially attempt to deport the Maryland father of two to his native El Salvador or a third country for a second time. Crenshaw, sitting in Nashville, agreed with an earlier decision by a magistrate judge, concluding that prosecutors had not provided enough evidence to show Ábrego García is either a danger to the public or a flight risk. The judge said in his decision that the government 'fails to show by a preponderance of the evidence – let alone clear and convincing evidence – that Abrego is such a danger to others or the community that such concerns cannot be mitigated by conditions of release'. Despite the bail ruling, Ábrego García is not expected to walk free. His legal team has requested a 30-day delay in implementing the decision, opting to keep him in criminal detention while they consider next steps. Meanwhile, in a separate courtroom in Maryland, US district judge Paula Xinis, who is overseeing a civil case Ábrego García filed, issued a 72-hour freeze on any further attempts by the Trump administration to deport him. Xinis ruled that Ábrego García must be returned to Maryland on an order of supervision. 'The Court shares Plaintiffs' ongoing concern that, absent meaningful safeguards, Defendants may once again remove Ábrego García from the United States without having restored him to the status quo ante and without due process,' Xinis wrote in the ruling. 'Thus, additional relief is necessary.' Trump administration officials have previously stated that if Ábrego García is released from criminal custody, he would be immediately transferred to immigration detention and face a second deportation, this time not to El Salvador. Immigration proceedings would begin right away and could lead to Ábrego García's removal from the US before his criminal trial, despite the administration's earlier pledge that he would be prosecuted in an American court. The 30-year old was wrongfully deported by federal immigration officials in March. According to the Trump administration, Ábrego García was affiliated with the MS-13 gang, a claim which Ábrego García and his family vehemently denies. Following Ábrego García's wrongful deportation, the Trump administration faced widespread pressure to return him back to the US, including from a supreme court order that directed federal officials to 'facilitate' his return. In June, the Trump administration returned Ábrego García from El Salvador, only to then hit him with a slew of human smuggling charges, which his lawyers have rejected as 'preposterous'. Prior to his deportation, Ábrego García had lived in Maryland for over a decade, working in construction, and was married to an American wife.
