A federal judge dismissed a misconduct complaint filed by the Department of Justice against Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, who oversaw a case related to the Alien Enemies Act case last year.
The complaint, filed by Attorney General Pam Bondi‘s office in July 2025, alleged that Boasberg, an Obama appointee, made “improper public comments” about President Donald Trump to Supreme Court Justice John Roberts and other federal judges “that have undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.” The DOJ claimed that Boasberg made the comments at a semiannual judicial conference the previous March, where he warned about how Trump would “disregard rulings of federal courts” and trigger “a constitutional crisis.”
Boasberg previously ruled against Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to carry out his mass deportation plans. Last March, Boasberg imposed restrictions on the federal government from removing anyone under the law. Despite Boasberg’s order, the Department of Homeland Security removed more than 200 noncitizens from the U.S. to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
Boasberg’s efforts to pursue contempt proceedings against administration officials, related to questions about compliance with that order, have been on hold since mid-December.
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Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter and producer for MS NOW. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
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