Justice Department Files Misconduct Complaint Against Judge In Key Deportations Case

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department revenge a title Monday alleging misconduct by a national judge overseeing respective cases involving nan Trump administration, including a situation to nan legality of deportation flights to El Salvador successful March.

The title against U.S. District Chief Judge James Boasberg, revenge by Attorney General Pam Bondi's main of unit Chad Mizelle, alleges that Boasberg made improper comments during a judicial convention successful March.

“While there,” Mizelle wrote, “Judge Boasberg attempted to improperly power Chief Justice Roberts and astir 2 twelve different national judges by straying from nan accepted topics to definitive his belief that nan Trump Administration would 'disregard rulings of national courts' and trigger 'a law crisis.'"

NBC News has not verified nan remarks, which Mizelle said took spot connected March 11. The convention was not unfastened to nan public.

“Although his comments would beryllium inappropriate moreover if they had immoderate basis, they were moreover worse because Judge Boasberg had nary basis,” Mizelle added successful his five-page missive to D.C. Circuit of Court of Appeals Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan.

Mizelle went connected to opportunity successful nan title that nan Trump management has complied pinch “all” tribunal orders, and that Boasberg didn’t place immoderate violations of tribunal orders to warrant what Mizelle called “his unprecedented predictions.”

Boasberg did not instantly respond to a petition for remark Monday night.

“Today astatine my direction, @TheJusticeDept revenge a misconduct title against U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg for making improper nationalist comments astir President Trump and his Administration,” Bondi wrote in a station connected X.

“These comments person undermined nan integrity of nan judiciary, and we will not guidelines for that,” she added.

Boasberg is assigned to respective notable cases involving nan Trump administration, nary much high-profile than nan Alien Enemies Act case, revenge successful mid-March erstwhile 3 deportation flights took disconnected from nan U.S. en way to El Salvador. During an emergency proceeding astatine nan time, Boasberg ordered that immoderate planes that were midair and bound for El Salvador return to nan United States aft Trump’s executive bid invoking nan Alien Enemies Act for deportations was made public.

The judge later recovered origin to initiate contempt proceedings to find whether nan Trump management was successful willful usurpation of tribunal orders. The process, however, has been temporarily paused by an appeals court.

“Having assumed President Trump would defy tribunal orders, Judge Boasberg issued a [temporary restraining order] and threatened sanctions—all connected a mendacious premise," nan title says, noting that nan judge said astatine nan convention days earlier ruling from nan chair successful nan deportations case. "Such behaviour violates litigants’ spot successful an impartial judiciary and falls beneath nan standards that safeguard nan integrity of nan judiciary and nationalist assurance successful that integrity.”

Mizelle asked Srinivasan to mention nan matter to a typical investigative committee to find whether Boasberg’s behaviour constituted “conduct prejudicial to nan effective and expeditious management of nan business of nan courts.”

He besides asked for Boasberg’s Alien Enemies Act lawsuit to beryllium reassigned to different judge while nan investigation proceeds, and to enforce disciplinary action, including a nationalist reprimand and referral to nan Judicial Conference for information of impeachment‑related recommendations, if nan committee finds willful misconduct.