Controversial anti-Trump Judge Boasberg keeps ruling against POTUS, but keeps getting overturned

A controversial federal judge keeps ruling against President Donald Trump and then consistently gets overturned by higher courts.

James "Jeb" Boasberg, the chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, has seen some of his highest-profile decisions stayed, overturned or sent to appellate courts for review.

Boasberg, 62, was appointed to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2011 after serving nearly a decade on the District of Columbia Superior Court, and has decided several cases connected to the Trump administration in the areas of immigration and executive authority.

In March 2025, he temporarily blocked the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to rapidly deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua without traditional immigration proceedings. When deportation flights continued, Boasberg later determined that he found probable cause to pursue criminal contempt proceedings against administration officials.

That contempt effort ultimately did not survive after appellate review.

Boasberg's problem: Accepting separation of powers

In April 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit shut down Boasberg's contempt inquiry, with the majority describing it as an improper "judicial intrusion into the autonomy of a coequal department."

Boasberg also ordered the administration to provide due-process protections for Venezuelans deported under the Alien Enemies Act. The Supreme Court vacated that order on April 7, 2025.

He also directed the U.S. government to facilitate the return of more than 130 deportees so they could challenge their removals.  That order is reportedly still under appellate review.

Roberts: Impeachment not the answer to activist judges

Trump called for Boasberg's impeachment after one of his deportation rulings, which led to Chief Justice John Roberts deciding to issue a rare public statement. "Impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision," he said.

Attorney General Pam Bondi later directed the U.S. Justice Department to file a judicial misconduct complaint alleging Boasberg made inappropriate comments about the administration during a Judicial Conference meeting. 

The complaint was ultimately dismissed by another federal judge, who concluded it did not establish misconduct.