Elon Musk has said that it is “necessary” to file impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, who halted deportation orders directed by President Donald Trump.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration had intended to invoke an 18th-century wartime law to accelerate the deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members. The Alien Enemies Act has been used only three times in U.S. history, and the administration’s decision to invoke the law for deporting alleged gang members rather than individuals from an adversarial state has raised legal and constitutional questions.
On Saturday, Boasberg issued the ruling to block deportations, after determining that immediate action was necessary as the government had already begun removing individuals under Trump‘s executive proclamation.
What To Know
Congressman Brandon Gill, the Texas Republican, who recently circulated a petition calling for the deportation of Democratic Minnesotan Representative Ilhan Omar, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he will be filing Articles of Impeachment against Boasberg.
Musk then responded to Gill, sharing his post on X with the caption “Necessary.” This has been viewed more than 5 million times.
Supporters of Trump, such as Musk and Gill—the latter of whom recently introduced a bill to have Trump replace Founding Father Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill—have backed his decision to invoke the Alien Enemies Act.
As has Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign, who argued that the president had broad authority to determine threats to national security and act under the 1798 law.
The proclamation issued prior to the court ruling labeled the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as an imminent threat to the United States. The proclamation said: “Over the years, Venezuelan national and local authorities have ceded ever-greater control over their territories to transnational criminal organizations, including TdA.”
The proclamation continued: “The result is a hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger.”
However, the move has drawn criticism from the likes of Boasberg, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU.)
Pool via AP
What People Are Saying
Attorney General Pam Bondi said: “This order disregards well-established authority regarding President Trump’s power, and it puts the public and law enforcement at risk.”
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg said: “I do not believe I can wait any longer and am required to act … A brief delay in their removal does not cause the government any harm.”
In a statement shared with Newsweek, Lee Gelernt, lead counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said: “The Trump administration’s intent to use a wartime authority for immigration enforcement is as unprecedented as it is lawless. It may be the administration’s most extreme measure yet, and that is saying a lot.”
What Happens Next
A hearing has been scheduled for Friday, March 21 to determine whether the injunction will be extended.
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