Washington files complaint vs deportation judge

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, stands for a portrait at E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, March 16, 2023. —AP FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department on Monday filed a misconduct complaint against the federal judge who has clashed with President Donald Trump’s administration over deportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

Escalating the administration’s conflict with US District Judge James Boasberg, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that she directed the filing of the complaint against Boasberg “for making improper public comments about President Trump and his administration.”

The complaint stems from remarks Boasberg allegedly made in March during a meeting of the Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary’s governing body.

Boasberg reportedly spoke to Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges saying the administration would trigger a constitutional crisis by disregarding federal court rulings, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press (AP).

Integrity ‘undermined’

The comments “have undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary,” the complaint says, adding that the administration has “always complied with all court orders.” Boasberg is among several judges who have questioned whether the administration has complied with their orders.