James E. Boasberg: What to know about the judge under attack by Trump

Donald Trump has a new target in his sights: James E. Boasberg. On Friday night, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1789, which allows the government to deport aliens from nations deemed a threat to the United States, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador.

The next day, the current Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, James E. Boasberg issued an order halting the deportations, and ordered the planes to turn back in mid-flight. However, the White House ignored the ruling, arguing that the flights were already in international airspace, outside the court’s jurisdiction, and now Trump has hurled insults because of the judge’s requests.

Who is James E. Boasberg?

Born in San Francisco, California, in 1962, Boasberg began his career in the private sector and clerked for Judge Dorothy W. Nelson on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In 1996, Boasberg moved into public service as an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., where he earned a reputation for handling some of the toughest homicide cases. In 2011, he was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by president Obama in 2011.

As a member, Boasberg was recognized for his fair and reasoned approach to complex legal matters. In 2023, he became chief justice of the court.

During his tenure on the court, the chief justice has presided over some high-profile cases, including a major ruling in 2020 on the Dakota Access pipeline. The judge ordered the pipeline to undergo a full environmental review, and highlighted potential risks that had not been adequately considered in previous studies.

In another important case, Boasberg ruled against Medicaid work requirements in several states, including Kentucky, Arkansas and New Hampshire. His decision was based on the argument that such requirements were inconsistent with Medicaid’s fundamental mission of providing health care to low-income individuals. His rulings were a direct challenge to the policies of the Trump administration, which had supported the expansion of such requirements.

Boasberg’s conflict with Trump

The first clash between the U.S. president and the judge arose in 2021 because Boasberg played a key role in the investigation of the Jan. 6 riots on Capitol Hill. The judge ordered former vice president Mike Pence to testify before a grand jury about his actions and knowledge surrounding the events of that day.

Now, Boesberg is the target of Trump’s ire after ruling against the current administration’s policies on deportation flights for undocumented immigrants. The Trump administration sought to expedite the deportation of hundreds of suspected Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, but Boasberg demanded clarification from the Justice Department on the procedures used for such deportations.

Trump called the judge a “lunatic” and called for his removal, prompting a rare intervention by Chief Justice John Roberts, who defended judicial independence, stating that removing judges is not an appropriate response to judicial disagreements. The White House maintains its position that its decisions should not be challenged by judges, which could trigger a constitutional crisis, as the administration believes presidential authority is stronger than that of judicial oversight.

During a hearing on Monday, Boasberg expressed concern about the administration’s challenge and asked the government to provide more details about the deportation flights. In its defense, the administration argued in court Tuesday that two of the deportation flights left U.S. territory before Boasberg’s order was issued, which would exempt them from injunctive relief. On Wednesday, the Justice Department was supposed to respond to the petition, but did not. Boasberg gave them one more day to respond.

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