DOJ Files Misconduct Complaint Against Judge in Deportations Case

The Department of Justice filed a misconduct complaint against District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg, alleging "improper public comments" against President Donald Trump and his administration. The complaint references Boasberg's comments at a judicial conference and his ruling in a case involving Venezuelan illegal immigrants. The DOJ accused Boasberg of breaching his judicial duties and attempting to sway judges in other cases. The department requested that Boasberg be removed from the deportation case and that it be reassigned to another judge.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a misconduct complaint against District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg, alleging "improper public comments" against President Donald Trump and his administration. The complaint references Boasberg's remarks at a judicial conference and his ruling in a case involving Venezuelan illegal immigrants. The DOJ accused Boasberg of breaching his judicial duties and attempting to sway judges in other cases. The department requested that Boasberg be removed from the deportation case and that it be reassigned to another judge [1].

The complaint, signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi's chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, was sent to the Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, Sri Srinivasan. The DOJ alleges that Boasberg made "improper public comments" at a judicial conference in March, attempting to influence Chief Justice Roberts and other federal judges. Boasberg is accused of expressing his belief that the Trump Administration would "disregard rulings of federal courts" and trigger a "constitutional crisis" [2].

The complaint also notes that Boasberg's comments were made days before he presided over a case involving Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport suspected criminal migrants. Boasberg later ruled that the Trump administration likely committed criminal contempt and blocked deportations to El Salvador [3].

The DOJ's action comes amidst a series of escalating conflicts between the Trump administration and the judiciary. In February, the department filed a misconduct complaint against Judge Ana Reyes over Trump's executive order on transgender troops. The complaint against Boasberg is unusual, as it involves a formal challenge to a judge's behavior rather than pursuing the administration's agenda directly through the court system [3].

Boasberg, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, maintains that the Trump administration violated his order to halt deportation flights to El Salvador. The Supreme Court later overturned Boasberg's ruling blocking Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act [1].

Trump has previously slammed Boasberg, calling him a "radical left lunatic judge" and calling for his impeachment. The president has also argued that Boasberg's comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary [2].

The complaint against Boasberg asks the Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Sri Srinivasan, to refer the complaint to a special investigative committee, reassign Boasberg's relevant cases to another judge, and "impose appropriate disciplinary action, including a public reprimand and referral to the Judicial Conference for consideration of impeachment-related recommendations, if the committee finds willful misconduct" [3].

References:
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/07/29/doj-files-misconduct-complaint-against-federal-judge-boasberg-who-ruled-against-trumps-deportations/
[2] https://nypost.com/2025/07/29/us-news/doj-files-misconduct-complaint-against-judge-james-boasberg-over-improper-comments-about-trump-undermined-the-integrity-of-the-judiciary/
[3] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-administration-files-another-misconduct-034121693.html