President Donald Trump has called for the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against his administration’s deportation flights, leading to a public statement from Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts.

The conflict involves U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s decision to temporarily halt the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act for deporting noncitizens.

Chief Justice Roberts highlighted that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreements with judicial decisions, a standard maintained for over 200 years. He pointed out that the appellate review process is the appropriate mechanism for such disputes.

The issue arose when Judge Boasberg issued an oral order for planes carrying 261 individuals destined for Central America to return to the U.S. The Trump administration claimed that 137 of those individuals had connections to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and were deported under the Alien Enemies Act. Two planes landed in El Salvador instead of returning to the U.S., leading to allegations that the Trump administration defied a court order.

In response, Trump launched a strong attack on Judge Boasberg via his Truth Social platform. “This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President – He didn’t WIN the popular VOTE (by a lot!), he didn’t WIN ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, he didn’t WIN 2,750 to 525 Counties, HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING!” Trump wrote in his post.

The president further asserted that Boasberg “and many of the ‘Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before should be IMPEACHED!!!”

President Trump’s actions against Judge Boasberg are part of a series of criticisms against federal judges overseeing legal challenges to his policies. Some of these judges have blocked the administration’s actions, leading to anger among the president’s supporters and calls for impeachment.

The Justice Department has appealed several rulings and sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court in three cases so far. The administration contends that the deportations occurred over international waters, outside the judge’s jurisdiction.

Republican Representative Brandon Gill of Texas submitted articles of impeachment against Boasberg, with the support of five other GOP lawmakers. However, House GOP leaders have not yet decided whether to schedule a vote on the impeachment articles.

Federal judges in the U.S. hold lifetime appointments, removable only through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate. Only 15 judges have faced impeachment proceedings in U.S. history, with eight removed for criminal acts or severe ethical breaches.

Elon Musk, a senior adviser to the president, has frequently called for judges to be impeached on social media, labeling them as “evil.” Last month, on X, Musk claimed “radical left activists posing as judges” were orchestrating a coup against American democracy. He added that judges making “truly terrible decisions” should face repercussions.

This is not the first instance of Justice Roberts countering Trump’s criticism of the judiciary. In 2018, after Trump criticized a federal judge who ruled against an asylum policy and called him an “Obama judge,” Roberts defended judicial independence.

Chief Justice Roberts emphasized that the judiciary consists of dedicated judges committed to impartial justice, rather than judges defined by the presidents who appointed them.

In light of recent attacks on the judiciary, two Republican-appointed judges cautioned last week that these actions threaten judicial independence.

Judge Richard Sullivan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, during a Judicial Conference reporter call, stressed the importance of maintaining three independent government branches and an autonomous judiciary, stating, “That’s what makes it work, and so it’s crucial that people understand that.”

Sixth Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton highlighted the ongoing issue of threats against judges, noting that such threats jeopardize judicial independence. He pointed out the various threats judges face, including impeachment threats, and warned that lowering impeachment standards would impact all government branches.

Roberts has previously addressed the significance of judicial independence, including in his year-end report for 2024. He identified four threats to judicial independence: violence, intimidation, disinformation, and threats to ignore legal judgments.

Legal experts express skepticism about any impeachment effort like the one proposed by Trump succeeding, given constitutional requirements and historical precedents. The courts retain the authority to hold the administration accountable, including holding government officials in contempt if they defy court orders.