U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts pushed back on Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s call for the impeachment of a federal judge overseeing a deportation case, emphasizing that judicial decisions should be challenged through the appeals process rather than political retribution.
“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts stated in a release from the Supreme Court. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
Roberts’ comments came in response to Trump’s demand for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. Boasberg, who is based in Washington, issued an order on Saturday preventing the administration from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members. Trump has argued that their removal is justified under an 18th-century law historically used only in wartime.
