In a rare move, Chief Justice John Roberts publicly criticized former President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Roberts spoke out after Trump called for the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against him in an immigration case. The Chief Justice defended the judiciary, stressing that impeachment is not the right response when someone disagrees with a court decision.
"For more than two centuries, it has been clear that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision," Roberts said in a statement. He added that the proper process is an appeal, not removing a judge from office.
Trump's comments targeted District Judge James Boasberg, who sits in Washington, D.C. Boasberg ruled on Saturday to stop the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan men accused of gang ties. The ruling blocked Trump from using an old, rarely used law to push the deportations.
Trump responded angrily on social media. "I'm just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" he wrote. Trump's remarks caused concern among legal experts, who said the attack on Boasberg could undermine trust in the courts.
The case stems from Trump's March 15 use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Trump said the law allowed him to deport alleged members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. He also linked the group to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, saying they posed a threat to U.S. safety.
The Alien Enemies Act is a historic law that gives U.S. presidents the power to deport foreign nationals who have ties to enemy nations during wartime. However, it has been used only three times in U.S. history—in the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II. During World War II, it played a role in the internment of people of Japanese, German, and Italian descent.
Critics argue the law does not apply in this case, as the U.S. is not currently at war with Venezuela. On the same day Trump invoked the law, Venezuelan men in U.S. immigration detention sued the administration. They said the law could not be used because there is no war or invasion involving Venezuela.
Judge Boasberg agreed with the detainees. He ruled that Trump's actions bypassed standard immigration laws. Boasberg's ruling ordered the administration to stop the deportations for now, pending further review.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and the judiciary. Roberts has spoken before about the importance of judicial independence. In 2018, he defended judges after Trump called a jurist an "Obama judge." Roberts said then that the U.S. does not have "Obama judges or Trump judges" but an independent judiciary.
This latest clash adds to the ongoing debate about executive power, immigration law, and the courts. Legal analysts say Roberts' statement could be a warning to politicians not to threaten the impartiality of the judicial branch.
The White House and Trump's team have not yet responded to Roberts' remarks. However, Trump's criticism of judges is expected to continue as legal challenges related to immigration and other issues move through the courts.
