Trump doubles down on deportation argument after rebuke by Chief Justice Roberts

President Donald Trump on Wednesday indirectly responded to Chief Justice John Roberts' rebuke for calling for the impeachment of the federal judge who temporarily blocked his effort to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members.

"If a President doesn’t have the right to throw murderers and other criminals out of our country because a radical left lunatic judge wants to assume the role of President, then our country is in very big trouble and destined to fail," Trump wrote on social media.

Trump is attempting to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport illegal migrants and accused gang members.

On Saturday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, in a case brought by immigrant advocates who argued the administration's use of the act during peacetime is illegal and that only Congress can declare a state of war, ordered the administration not to deport anyone under the law for 14 days.

On Wednesday, Boasberg gave the Trump Justice Department an additional 24 hours to provide details about the deportation flights to El Salvador that he had ordered turned around. 

"This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" Trump wrote Monday, which resulted in Roberts' rebuke. "WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"

Roberts said afterward: "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."