U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is at it again. In a mind-boggling 37-page decision, he has blocked the Trump administration from swiftly deporting members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang.
BREAKING: Judge James Boasberg has denied the Trump administration's request to lift his order blocking the deportations of Venezuelan illegal aliens via the Alien Enemies Act. He writes that there is a "strong public interest in preventing the mistaken deportation of people…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 24, 2025
The judge's ruling reads like a progressive wish list, demanding "individualized hearings" before any deportations can proceed. Because apparently, we need to roll out the red carpet and due process for criminal aliens who shouldn't be here in the first place. Even more outrageous, the government must now prove these individuals are actually gang members — as if their presence alone isn't a violation enough of our immigration laws.
Boasberg previously ordered a deportation flight for these illegal alien gang members to turn around back to the United States; however, since he made the ruling while the plane was over international waters, he had no jurisdiction, and the deportations continued as planned.
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Boasberg's memorandum opinion, which accompanied the order, maintains that these individuals must have "the opportunity to challenge their designation as alien enemies." In other words, we're giving suspected gang members a chance to argue that they're actually upstanding citizens who deserve to stay in our country.
Now he has the audacity to say that the court “need not resolve the thorny question of whether the judiciary has the authority to assess this claim in the first place.” This is an obvious reaction to the Trump administration’s position that district court judges don’t have the authority to micromanage the president of the United States or the executive branch.
Boasberg’s opinion continues:
That is because Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on another equally fundamental theory: before they may be deported, they are entitled to individualized hearings to determine whether the Act applies to them at all. As the Government itself concedes, the awesome power granted by the Act may be brought to bear only on those who are, in fact, “alien enemies.” And the Supreme Court and this Circuit have long maintained that federal courts are equipped to adjudicate that question when individuals threatened with detention and removal challenge their designation as such. Because the named Plaintiffs dispute that they are members of Tren de Aragua, they may not be deported until a court has been able to decide the merits of their challenge. Nor may any members of the provisionally certified class be removed until they have been given the opportunity to challenge their designations as well. The Motion to Vacate will thus be denied.
This isn't just judicial overreach; it's judicial insanity.
“This is an out-of-control judge, a federal judge trying to control our entire foreign policy, and he cannot do it,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. “He dragged us into court on a Saturday without any notice. And then he’s continuing these hearings. He’s trying to ask us about national security information, which he is absolutely not entitled to.”
The plaintiffs now have until Wednesday to request converting the temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction. If granted, this would further cement this dangerous precedent and extend protection for these gang members from deportation. Because obviously, what America needs right now is more legal shields for criminal aliens.
This ruling sets a dangerous precedent that undermines our immigration enforcement capabilities and makes a mockery of our national sovereignty.
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