Federal judges across the U.S. this week issued a series of rulings reining in key initiatives of President Donald Trump's administration, drawing sharp criticism from the president and a surge in political attacks on the judiciary. The decisions, ranging from halts to mass deportations to blocking executive orders, have also coincided with an uptick in threats directed at federal judges, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
In Washington, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg temporarily blocked the administration's efforts to deport individuals under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime statute dating back to 1798. Boasberg's order directed that flights carrying deportees under the act return to the U.S., sparking backlash from Justice Department attorneys who argued he lacked authority to probe the deportations.
At a hearing, Boasberg admonished DOJ lawyers for their language, saying their filings contained "the kind of intemperate and disrespectful language I'm not used to hearing from the United States." The judge characterized the government's stance as "we don't care, we'll do what we want," after officials claimed deported individuals were already out of U.S. airspace and beyond his jurisdiction.
President Trump has continued attacking Boasberg, calling him a "grandstander" and demanding his impeachment, writing on Truth Social: "No District Court Judge, or any Judge, can assume the duties of the President of the United States. Only Crime and Chaos would result."
Chief Justice John Roberts weighed in Tuesday, defending judicial independence. "Impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose," Roberts stated.
The president's legal team has over 15 appeals pending, including cases involving the administration's dismantling of federal agencies and data collection efforts. One prominent case concerns the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, which is under scrutiny for accessing sensitive records of millions of Americans.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland issued a restraining order blocking DOGE from accessing Social Security Administration records, describing the department's approach as "hitting a fly with a sledgehammer." Hollander wrote: "The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion."
Another Maryland judge, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, found Musk and DOGE's actions to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development unconstitutional, stating, "The power to act to eliminate federal agencies resides exclusively with Congress." Chuang cited Musk's own social media posts as evidence, including a February post where Musk declared, "We spent the weekend feeding USAID to the wood chipper."
DOGE filed an appeal Friday after Chuang ordered the agency to restore services and protect staff data.
Further legal action came in Washington, where U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked the administration's executive order banning transgender individuals from military service. Reyes wrote the policy is "soaked in animus" and violates the equal protection clause, adding, "Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact."
The administration argued the ban focused on individuals with gender dysphoria, but Reyes rejected the claim, pointing to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's public statements, including a February tweet declaring, "Transgender troops are disqualified from service without an exemption."
Meanwhile, Judge Tanya Chutkan blocked efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to terminate $20 billion in climate grants appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act. Chutkan ruled the EPA failed to provide a legal basis for revoking the grants, noting the agency relied on "vague and unsubstantiated assertions of fraud."
These rulings arrive amid growing concerns over the safety of federal judges. The U.S. Marshals Service warned judges in recent weeks of an increase in threats, particularly as rulings involving Trump have attracted heightened attention. Former U.S. Marshals Director Ronald Davis described the surge in threats as occurring at an "alarming rate," emphasizing the need for increased funding to bolster protective measures.
Chief Justice Roberts also highlighted the issue in his year-end report, stating that more than 1,000 serious threats against judges have been investigated in the last five years, resulting in over 50 criminal charges.
William Bay, president of the American Bar Association, called the attacks on judges unacceptable. "Despite these efforts to intimidate, our courts are doing their job of reviewing disputes and applying the law," Bay said. "We encourage every lawyer to do the same and demand these attacks on our judiciary stop immediately."
