James Boasberg: The judge Donald Trump wants impeached; What comes next?

In an unprecedented escalation of tensions between the executive branch and the judiciary, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for the impeachment of district judge James Boasberg after the latter ordered a suspension of deportation flights carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members.
"This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, attacking Boasberg as a "Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama."
The controversial deportation order
Judge Boasberg, the chief judge of the federal district court in Washington, had issued an order halting the deportation of alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The White House invoked the Alien Enemies Act, an obscure law dating back to 1798, to justify the deportations. However, Boasberg's ruling challenged the administration's legal footing, triggering a fierce backlash from the president and his allies.
Despite the judge's ruling, the justice department proceeded with the deportation flights, arguing that Boasberg's order came too late and did not apply once the planes had left US airspace. The move infuriated Boasberg, who accused the administration of deliberately rushing the flights to circumvent his injunction.
During a tense Monday hearing, Boasberg criticised the justice department's claim that his authority ceased at the country's borders. "The power of federal courts does not lapse at the water’s edge," he said, demanding that the government provide a full account of the flights and their passengers by noon Tuesday.
Judicial independence under fire
Trump's call for impeachment is the latest in a pattern of attacks against judges who have ruled against his administration. While the White House has previously criticised judicial interference in its policies, this marks the first time since taking office that Trump has personally called for a judge's removal.
Federal judges hold lifetime appointments and can only be removed through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate—a process that has been exceedingly rare. The last time a federal judge was impeached was in 2010.
Trump's rhetoric has alarmed judicial defenders, with legal experts warning that his attacks could undermine judicial independence. Chief justice John Roberts has previously condemned such threats, saying that they "undermine our Republic and are wholly unacceptable."
The man at the centre of the storm
James Boasberg, 62, is no stranger to high-profile legal battles. A Yale and Oxford graduate, he has served on the bench for over two decades, first appointed by President George W Bush to the DC Superior Court and later elevated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2011.
As chief judge, Boasberg has overseen several critical cases, including disputes over Trump's executive privilege claims. He also led reforms of the foreign intelligence surveillance court after the FBI's handling of surveillance applications during the Trump-Russia investigation came under scrutiny.
Despite his bipartisan credentials, Boasberg has become a target of Trump's allies, with House Republicans now threatening to introduce impeachment articles against him. Conservative figures, including billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, have fueled calls for judicial removals, arguing that judges should not interfere with executive power.
What comes next?
Legal scholars suggest that Trump's impeachment demand is unlikely to gain traction, given the rarity of such actions against federal judges. However, the administration's defiance of Boasberg's ruling could set up a constitutional showdown over executive power.
Boasberg has yet to determine whether the justice department violated his order, but his insistence on further filings suggests that the fight is far from over. The case could ultimately reach the supreme court, where the conservative majority may be called upon to define the limits of presidential authority in immigration enforcement.