House Judiciary Chair Proposes Alternative Legislative Solution to Judges’ Impeachment
Rep. Jim Jordan announced that hearings will be conducted regarding responses to federal judges’ orders that have recently obstructed the Trump administration.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) revealed his plans for committee hearings discussing how to address the federal judges’ rulings that prevented certain directives from the Trump administration, indicating there may be “another legislative remedy” other than impeachment.
This week, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington issued a ruling to block the Trump administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act intended to deport suspected members of a transnational Venezuelan gang. He also ordered a deportation flight headed to El Salvador to return to the United States. Earlier this week, a Republican lawmaker introduced articles of impeachment against Boasberg, claiming the judge’s ruling was unconstitutional.
“That’s why we passed legislation,” Jordan stated. “There may be a legislative—another legislative remedy we want to explore.”
Jordan mentioned that hearings regarding the judges’ decisions and potential impeachments are expected in “the next several weeks,” but he did not specify what alternatives to impeachment Republicans might consider.
Jordan maintained that nationwide injunctions from federal judges were more frequent during the Trump administration compared to Biden’s, expressing his belief that Americans are dissatisfied with Boasberg’s ruling.
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“Honestly, when the American public hears this, they think, what is this judge doing? The president leads the executive branch,” Jordan commented. “He’s the one who ran for office, got elected, and has the right to make these decisions without a judge intervening in executive matters.”
Over the past weekend, Boasberg has placed a two-week suspension on deportations permitted under the Alien Enemies Act, which Trump enacted on Saturday to assert that Tren de Aragua was conducting irregular warfare against the U.S. Last month, this gang was labeled a foreign terrorist organization, alongside the MS-13 gang and various Mexican drug cartels.
This week, the judge requested the Department of Justice (DOJ) to explain the reasoning behind the landing of deportation flights in El Salvador, setting a Thursday deadline for a response. Trump administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, have contended that Boasberg overstepped his authority by issuing the nationwide injunction.
On Tuesday, Trump expressed on Truth Social that Boasberg merits impeachment, which drew a statement from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. In a rare public address, Roberts stated that judges should only be impeached under exceptional circumstances.
“For over two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate reaction to disagreement regarding a judicial decision,” Roberts noted in his remarks. “The standard appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
In addition to Trump, various congressional Republicans, Trump adviser Elon Musk, and others have called for the impeachment of Boasberg and other federal judges in response to court rulings that have hindered the administration’s actions in recent weeks.
To remove a judge or another official from office, the House must approve articles of impeachment with a simple majority vote. However, the Senate requires a two-thirds majority vote to convict and remove an official. While Republicans hold control in both the House and Senate, they do not possess a two-thirds majority in the upper chamber.
