Chief Justice Rejects Trump’s Demand to Remove Judge Due to Deportation Decision

Chief Justice Roberts emphasized appellate review procedures in defending judicial independence and dismissing Trump’s demand to remove a judge over a deportation decision.

In a rare public remark, Chief Justice John Roberts of the US Supreme Court reacted to President Donald Trump’s demand that a federal judge who had ruled against his administration on migrant deportations be removed from office.

The “normal appellate review process exists for that purpose,” Roberts stated, adding that it has been established for more than two centuries that impeachment is not a suitable reaction to disagreement with a judicial decision.

After US District Judge James Boasberg rejected his administration’s attempts to deport suspected gang members to El Salvador using a little-known 18th-century legislation, Trump had already attacked the judge, labeling him a “troublemaker and agitator.” The decision dealt a legal blow to the president’s immigration goal by essentially stopping deportations linked to the policy.

Long-standing judicial standards that shield judges from political reprisals for their decisions are emphasized by the top justice’s answer. Legal experts have criticized the seldom requests for direct impeachment over legal disputes, despite the fact that confrontations between the executive and court are not unusual.

Although the White House has not officially addressed Roberts’ claim, Trump has frequently criticized the judiciary during his presidency, especially when courts have rejected his executive authority and immigration policies.