Who is Judge James 'Jeb' Boasberg? The judge blocking Trump’s deportation plan
White House continues deportations despite order
Over the weekend, the Trump administration transferred more than 200 immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order to bar the deportations temporarily. On Saturday night, District Judge James E. Boasberg ordered the administration not to deport anyone in its custody over the newly invoked Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century declaration that has only been used three times in U.S. history, all during periods of war. Trump issued a proclamation that the 1798 law was newly in effect due to what he claimed was an "invasion" by the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling. On Monday, plaintiffs filed a lawsuit to halt the deportations and asked a federal judge to force officials to explain under oath whether they violated his court order.
WASHINGTON - Federal Judge James "Jeb" Boasberg has found himself at the center of Trump’s latest legal battle, ruling against the administration’s use of an 18th-century wartime law to deport migrants.
The decision, which blocked deportation flights to El Salvador, has made him a target of impeachment calls from Trump and his allies.
Boasberg is no stranger to high-profile and politically charged cases. Over his 14 years on the federal bench, he has ruled on issues including Trump’s grand jury investigations, FBI surveillance abuses, and sentencings of Jan. 6 rioters.
Despite his bipartisan judicial background, Trump’s criticism has intensified, drawing a rare public defense from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
What is Boasberg’s history with Trump-related cases?
The backstory:
As chief judge of Washington, D.C.’s federal court, Boasberg had a front-row seat to special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
He oversaw secret grand jury disputes, including a ruling in 2023 requiring former Vice President Mike Pence to testify—a decision that directly shaped the case against Trump.
Boasberg also presided over dozens of Jan. 6 riot cases, often handing down lighter sentences than prosecutors requested. In one memorable hearing, a Proud Boys member berated him as a "clown" and "fraud". Boasberg responded calmly before sentencing the man to six years in prison.
His rulings in these cases have drawn criticism from both political sides—with Trump supporters accusing him of bias against the former president, while others claim he has been too lenient on rioters.
What role did he play in Trump’s Russia investigation?
Big picture view:
Boasberg also played a key role in handling the fallout of the Trump-Russia investigation, particularly in reviewing FBI misconduct.
As a judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), he oversaw reforms following revelations that the FBI mishandled surveillance applications related to Trump’s 2016 campaign adviser, Carter Page.
While he chastised the FBI for misleading the court, some Trump allies criticized his lenient sentencing of an FBI lawyer who pleaded guilty to doctoring an email used in those surveillance applications.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks after signing an executive order on reciprocal tariffs in the Oval Office at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The case remains a major talking point among Trump’s supporters, who argue that the Justice Department’s mistakes weren’t punished harshly enough.
What triggered Trump’s impeachment calls?
Dig deeper:
Boasberg’s latest controversy erupted when he blocked Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law, to deport alleged gang members to El Salvador. '
The ruling came after two deportation flights continued despite his verbal order to halt them, prompting him to call a hearing over the "possible defiance" of his ruling.
The Justice Department is now seeking to remove Boasberg from the case, while Trump has escalated his attacks, calling the judge an "unelected troublemaker and agitator" and urging his impeachment in a social media post on Tuesday.
The call for impeachment drew an extraordinary rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who defended Boasberg’s decision and stated that judicial disagreements should be handled through the normal appellate process, not impeachment.
What's next:
The legal battle over Trump’s deportation order is far from over. Boasberg’s temporary ruling is expected to be challenged in higher courts, and the Justice Department is pressing for his removal from the case.
At the same time, Trump’s impeachment rhetoric has intensified, putting increased pressure on conservative lawmakers to take action against Boasberg—though such an effort would face significant hurdles in Congress.
With Boasberg’s history of high-profile Trump rulings, this latest controversy is unlikely to be his last.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. It is based on The Associated Press, detailing Judge Boasberg’s legal career, Trump-related rulings, and the fallout from his recent decision on deportations.