What to know about James Boasberg, judge Trump is targeting for impeachment
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Judge James Boasberg stands for a portrait in Washington, D.C. on March 16, 2023. Photo: Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Federal judge James Boasberg is the target of an impeachment effort by President Trump and House Republicans after questioning the administration's decision to disregard an order.
The big picture: A legal battle broke out in the White House after the chief judge of the D.C. District Court ordered flights deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members to turn around.
- The White House ignored the judge's order, claiming it was issued after the flights had already departed and left U.S. jurisdiction.
- The Trump administration defended its decision Tuesday to follow through with the deportations under an 18th century war time law.
State of play: President Trump said Tuesday that Boasberg "should be IMPEACHED!!!"
- Chief Justice John Roberts responded in a rare statement later Tuesday saying impeaching a federal judge is "not an appropriate response" to disagreeing with a ruling.
Boasberg's background
Boasberg, also known as "Jeb," has been the chief judge of the Federal District Court of the District of Columbia since 2023, according to his court bio.
- The native Washingtonian received his B.A. in history from Yale College, where he also played basketball, in 1985. He then received an M.St. in Modern European History from Oxford University in 1986 and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1990.
- He lived with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during law school.
Legal career: Boasberg served as a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, after which he was a litigation associate in San Francisco and then in Washington.
- In 1996, he joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia as an assistant U.S. Attorney, where he served for more than five years and specialized in homicide prosecutions.
- Then-President George W. Bush in 2002 gave Boasberg his first job on the bench as an associate judge of the D.C. Superior Court, where served in the civil and criminal divisions and the domestic violence branch.
- He was then appointed to the federal bench in 2011 by then-President Obama.
- Boasberg served a seven-year term on the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court starting in 2014. He was appointed by Justice Roberts.
Venezuela deportation case
Trump on Friday night invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. When word of the order leaked Saturday morning, there was a scramble in the White House to get planes off the ground for the deportation of about 250 Venezuelans under the 18th century law.
- During a court hearing Saturday, Boasberg ordered a halt to the deportations, saying any such flights should be turned around mid-air.
- The White House ignored the order and did not turn the flights around. The administration argued the flights were over international waters and therefore outside of the court's jurisdiction.
Zoom in: Boasberg questioned the administration's decision during a hearing Monday to ignore his order, and asked them to answer detailed questions pertaining to the deportation flights.
- In Tuesday court filings, the administration defended its decision, saying two of the three removal flights departed U.S. territory before Boasberg issued the order blocking them.
Where it stands: The back-and-forth between the administration and Boasberg, has sparked anger from Trump allies, with one GOP lawmaker announcing Tuesday he had introduced articles of impeachment against the judge.
More from Axios:
- House GOP moves swiftly to impeach judge targeted by Trump
- Justice Roberts rebukes Trump's call to impeach Venezuela deportation case judge
- Judge gives DOJ Tuesday deadline in Venezuelan deportations case
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to note the Alien Enemies Act was enacted in 1798 (not 1789).
