A federal appeals court has dismissed a misconduct complaint against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, as stated in court documents released this week.
Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals made the ruling on December 19, though the announcement just came to light recently. The Justice Department had raised concerns about Boasberg’s remarks at a judicial conference, where he suggested that the Trump administration could create a “constitutional crisis” by disregarding federal court rulings.
These comments were made shortly before he issued an order that blocked deportation flights.
Sutton noted that the government failed to present any evidence supporting its claims about Boasberg’s comments or the context in which they were made.
Sutton remarked, “Repeating a frivolous allegation without reference to sources does not substantiate the claim, and repeating uncorroborated statements is rarely the basis for a valid charge of misconduct.”
This ruling surfaced shortly after the White House expressed its backing for the Senate Judiciary Committee’s impeachment inquiry into Boasberg and another judge whom Republicans have labeled as an activist.
A White House official described Boasberg as a “left-wing activist judge” who is, in their view, acting against the rule of law for radical reasons. The official stated that this behavior needed to be addressed and that the White House fully supports the impeachment efforts.
The official emphasized that President Donald Trump should be allowed to “legitimately carry out the agenda that the American people elected him to,” contending that judges who issue frequent partisan decisions are overstepping their role and losing their impartiality.
Boasberg has become a focal point of Republican criticism, particularly regarding rulings on immigration policies from the Trump era. This criticism includes lawsuits aimed at deporting immigrants to El Salvador and other countries without holding them in the U.S.
More recently, there were reports indicating that Boasberg approved a warrant in former special counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation, which would allow the seizure of phone records from specific Republican Congress members, sparking further opposition.
Previously, he faced impeachment in March 2025 for blocking the deportation of illegal immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act and was impeached again in November due to the Arctic Frost decision.
