Republican Files Impeachment Against Judge Who Ruled Against Trump Deportations

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) introduced a resolution to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who over the weekend ordered the Trump administration to halt deportations of Venezuelans whom it said were gang members.

The move comes as President Trump is also calling for Boasberg’s impeachment, as the administration argues that his ruling, blocking Trump from invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to swiftly deport the migrants, was not lawful.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday pushed back at that statement, saying it had been established that “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”

Gill’s impeachment article introduced Tuesday charges that Boasberg abused power “to advance political gain while interfering with the President’s constitutional prerogatives and enforcement of the rule of law” with the ruling, adding that he “attempted to seize power from the Executive branch and interfere with the will of the American people.”

“By making a political decision outside the scope of his judicial duties, he compromised the impartiality of our judicial system and created a constitutional crisis,” the article states.

Boasberg had told the Trump administration that any flights with the Venezuelan migrants that had already departed should turn around and return to the U.S., but the White House has been accused of defying that order by not turning already departed flights around.

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