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SCOOP: Judge Boasberg impeachment push gains support despite House GOP leaders’ resistance

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FIRST ON FOX: A resolution to impeach U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg is still gaining support despite House GOP leaders' hesitation to move on such a measure.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced an article of impeachment against Boasberg last month after he issued an emergency order temporarily halting the Trump administration's deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act.

Reps. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., signed onto the bill as co-sponsors last week, Fox News Digital was told, despite House GOP leaders signaling around the same time that they have little appetite to pursue that route.

The resolution now has 22 total co-sponsors – suggesting the effort is still alive and well among conservatives in the House Republican conference.

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

President Donald Trump is using the Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected Tren De Aragua gang members to a detention facility in El Salvador. 

Boasberg's standoff with the Trump administration, which includes accusations the White House ignored his initial order that the administration has denied, has sent shock waves through Capitol Hill. 

Republicans see it as one of the most egregious examples of "rogue judges" blocking Trump's agenda. 

Trump himself singled out Boasberg and called for his impeachment over the legal showdown.

'WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT': US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO

More than a dozen injunctions have been levied against various Trump policies, with targets ranging from birthright citizenship reform to the Department of Government Efficiency.

However, House GOP leaders are hesitant to support impeachment as a method to target Boasberg and other judges – believing it to be a less effective route to accountability.

Several rank-and-file Republican lawmakers suggested to Fox News Digital last month that they would not support such a move, giving it long odds of success in the House.

Gill's resolution accused Boasberg of abusing his power.

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He could still force a House-wide vote on the measure by reintroducing it as a "privileged resolution," giving leaders two legislative days to hold at least one procedural vote.

As of last week, however, Gill told Fox News Digital he had no plans to do so.

It comes as House Republicans coalesce around legislation by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., to limit district judges' ability to issue nationwide injunctions. That bill is expected to get a vote on Wednesday afternoon.

House Republicans to go to war with ‘rogue judges’ blocking Trump’s agenda: Here’s their plan

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House Republicans are going all out this week to signal their support for the Trump administration amid multiple legal standoffs over White House policy.

A bill to limit U.S. district court judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions sailed through the House Rules Committee – the last gatekeeper for bills before a chamber-wide vote – in a party-line vote Monday evening, as expected.

On Tuesday morning, meanwhile, two high-profile panels on the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. ET on "judicial overreach and constitutional limits on the federal courts."

"Clearly, our members are as angered as President Trump about some of these rogue judges," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., the No. 2 House Republican, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview. "So we're doing a number of things."

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

The hearing will be held by the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution, led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and its subcommittee on courts, led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

Notably, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., is expected to testify, as is a woman described as a victim of criminal activity perpetrated by the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua in Aurora, Colorado.

Her appearance is likely linked to the ongoing legal showdown between the Trump administration and U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after he issued an emergency 14-day pause on the White House’s deportation flights of suspected Tren de Aragua gang members to El Salvador.

"We share the president's concern that you've got some judges that have overstepped their boundaries," Scalise said. "I mean, you have a plane flying with hardened criminals ... and Judge Boasberg orders the plane to turn around in mid-flight … and bring hardened criminals back to America who were already here illegally. That's clearly judicial activism and a judge trying to become the executive. That's not his role."

Issa is also spearheading the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA Act) to get a House-wide vote this week, which would limit the ability of Boasberg and other district court judges from issuing rulings that affect Trump policies across the country, beyond their direct jurisdiction.

That legislation is likely to pass with little if any Republican dissent. Two people familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital this month that Capitol Hill aides were told Trump "likes" the bill.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, also made clear leadership is united behind this week’s strategy.

"Judges cannot act as pseudo-legislators to advance their political agenda; that’s not how our government works," Emmer told Fox News Digital exclusively in a written statement. "I’m grateful for Chairman Jordan and Congressman Issa’s leadership in House Republicans’ efforts to ensure impartiality on the bench."

'WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT': US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO

But it’s clear there’s an appetite among Republican judiciary hawks and conservatives to go further.

Scalise would not go into specifics but vowed, "Everything's being looked at, and all options are on the table."

Democrats are vowing to push back, with Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, accusing Trump of using judges as "scapegoats" for his policy setbacks.

"This week's efforts to distract from Trump’s serial violations of the Spending Clause, the separation of powers, the Birthright Citizenship Clause, Equal Protection, the First Amendment freedom of speech, Fifth Amendment Due Process and Sixth Amendment right to counsel will include a House hearing made for Trump’s viewing pleasure and a vote on a Republican bill to ban nationwide injunctions," Raskin told Fox News Digital.

"As my colleagues embark on this embarrassing diversion, Judiciary Democrats will remind them at every turn: it's not the courts' fault that Trump keeps losing these cases. No amount of finger pointing will shift responsibility from this rogue president who keeps deliberately trashing the Constitution and violating the rights and freedoms of the people of the United States."

There have been over a dozen injunctions levied against various Trump policies across the country, from birthright citizenship reform to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met privately with Republican judiciary committee members last week for what sources called a "brainstorming" session.

Ideas raised by lawmakers included a fast-tracked appeals process, wielding Congress’ spending power over the judiciary, and limiting the ability to "judge shop."

And some conservatives are eager to target specific judges they believe are abusing their power via the impeachment process, but House Republican leaders are wary of that route and believe it to be less effective than other legislative avenues.

Conservatives could still force Johnson’s hand by filing a "privileged" impeachment resolution, meaning the House would have to at least hold a procedural vote on the measure within two legislative days.

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Fox News Digital is not aware of any current plans to do so, and Johnson assured Republicans at their closed-door meeting last week that he was in contact with the White House every step of the way.

Trump’s GOP Senate allies are rolling out their own strategy to push back on activist judges in the coming days, with the Senate Judiciary Committee teeing up a similar hearing to the House’s Tuesday event.

How Mike Johnson and Jim Jordan could hit back at judges blocking Trump’s agenda

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Congressional Republicans are looking at a variety of options to stand up against what they see as "activist judges" blocking President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Many of those options will likely be discussed at the House Judiciary's hearing on the matter next week, which sources expect to be scheduled for April 1.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., huddled privately with Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon to coalesce lawmakers around a bill up for a vote next week that would limit federal district court judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions.

One source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that Johnson suggested Republicans could look at other options as well, something conservatives are looking for. House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital that the legislation was a "good start."

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

The No Rogue Rulings Act has support from both the White House and House GOP leadership. It’s expected to get a House-wide vote Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

Led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the legislation would force most district court judges to narrow most orders to the most relevant scope, therefore blocking them from pausing Trump’s policies across the U.S.

No Republican lawmaker has publicly expressed doubts about the bill, but conservatives have warned they want to see more from Congress on activist judges.

Both Johnson and top members of the House Judiciary Committee have floated using Congress’ power of the purse to rein in activist courts.

"We do have authority over the federal courts," Johnson said at his weekly press conference. "We do have power over funding, over the courts, and all these other things. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and Congress is going to act."

But Congress controls government spending through several different mechanisms. Lawmakers have the power to set annual appropriations levels, to rescind that funding via a rescission package, and even leverage funding outside of Congress' yearly appropriations via the budget reconciliation process.

"I think we need to look at… funding scenarios. Now, that takes a little time; you've got to work through either the appropriations, rescissions or reconciliation process, depending on where it's appropriate," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, chair of the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution, told Fox News Digital last week – while stressing he was not "for or against" any specific scenario.

Several Republicans have introduced resolutions to impeach various federal judges for blocking Trump's agenda, but there appears to be little appetite within the House GOP to pursue that lane.

Johnson signaled he was against the move during a closed-door meeting with Republicans on Tuesday morning, noting just 15 federal judges have been impeached in U.S. history.

'WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT': US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO

"There was some innuendo there that, you know, impeachment has been reserved for judges with high crimes and misdemeanors, not because you disagree with his decisions," one House Republican said of Johnson's message. 

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Conservatives could attempt to force House GOP leaders to act by classifying their impeachment legislation as a "privileged resolution," meaning the House must hold at least a chamber-wide procedural vote on the measure within two legislative days.

But it's not clear that will be pursued, either. Two Republicans who filed such resolutions – Reps. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. – said they did not have current plans to make their resolutions privileged.

It's not a totally dismissed option, however, as leaders, including House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, continue to insist nothing is off the table.

‘Futile exercise’: House GOP push to impeach judges blocking Trump fizzles out

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There appears to be little appetite within the House GOP to pursue the impeachment of judges who have blocked President Donald Trump's agenda.

Republican lawmakers are instead coalescing around a bill led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., to limit the ability of U.S. district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions, which is due for a House floor vote next week.

One House GOP lawmaker at Tuesday morning's closed-door Republican conference meeting said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled that Issa's bill would be a more effective message against who they view as "activist" judges.

"There was some innuendo there that, you know, impeachment has been reserved for judges with high crimes and misdemeanors, not because you disagree with his decisions," the lawmaker said of Johnson's message. 

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

House GOP Policy Conference Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said, "I don't think so," when asked if impeachment was a realistic effort. "I think it's probably a mixed bag out there right now," he said, adding that Issa's bill was the best option he could see.

Johnson himself did not directly comment on impeachment when asked during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, but he said the House Judiciary Committee was "looking at alternatives."

"One of the bills that I really like, that's already been through committee, was authored by Representative Darrell Issa. And that would limit the scope of federal injunctions," Johnson said. "It would be, in my view, a dramatic improvement on that."

Several conservatives have introduced resolutions to impeach various judges who have blocked Trump's agenda. 

One such effort that has garnered significant attention is a resolution by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. Boasberg is currently locked in a legal showdown with the Department of Justice over the Trump administration's deportation of suspected Tren De Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act.

Trump previously called for Boasberg's impeachment but has said little on the specific issue since then. 

He has been adamant that Republicans should take on activist judges, however, and Fox News Digital was told last week that he was in favor of Issa's bill.

Conservatives could attempt to force House GOP leaders to act by classifying their impeachment legislation as a "privileged resolution," meaning the House must hold at least a chamber-wide procedural vote on the measure within two legislative days.

Gill told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning that he had no current plans to make his resolution privileged, and he was supportive of Johnson and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, in handling the matter.

"I don't think we should take anything off the table. But right now, we're working with leadership. Johnson's doing a great job, and so is [Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas] and Jim Jordan on the Judiciary Committee," Gill said.

Support for his resolution has continued to grow, however. Three Republicans signed on to formally support Gill's push on Monday.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., who has introduced his own impeachment resolution, told Fox News Digital, "I think we should hold impeachment regardless of what the Senate does or doesn't do…we should do the people's work, which is impeach those bastards."

'WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT': US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO

However, even people who said they would back impeachment are skeptical it will pass.

"It's kind of a futile exercise, because we don't have the votes in the Senate [to remove a judge]," a conservative House GOP lawmaker said Monday night. "It's more of a ‘Hey, stay in your lane, you’re not the president.' And I think if anything, let's put some pressure on the Supreme Court to take up one of these injunctions."

That conservative added that they would "absolutely" vote for impeachment if it came to the floor.

Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., who co-signed Gill's resolution, told Fox News Digital on Monday night that he would support both impeachment and Issa's bill moving to the House floor, but he was skeptical of the former succeeding.

"I think impeachment obviously is unlikely because of the Senate…but it signals that, you know, these judges are out of control and not following the law," Hamadeh explained. "I think it's the smart approach to do both right now, but it seems like the solution, [the No Rogue Rulings Act], that's likely to get broad support."

Additionally, with House Republicans' razor-thin majority, it is not clear that an impeachment resolution would even succeed.

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"We shouldn't lower the standard for impeachment, but we should – ‘we’ meaning Congress – should provide a remedy for district court judges who totally overreach," Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., said.

Another House Republican who declined to be named said they were "totally opposed" to impeachment.

"That's what the appeals process is for," they said.

The House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing early next week on activist judges, and that's expected to be followed by a House-wide vote on Issa's bill.

House GOP leaders privately wary of push to impeach federal judges blocking Trump agenda

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House GOP leaders have little appetite to launch a full-scale impeachment process against judges who have been blocking President Donald Trump's agenda, sources said Thursday.

Three people – two senior House GOP aides and one source familiar with leadership's discussions – told Fox News Digital that House leadership does not see impeachment as the most effective way to hold accountable those they view as "activist" judges.

Republican leaders are still looking into it, however, after Trump himself called for the impeachment of U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg over the weekend. Boasberg issued an emergency 14-day injunction on the Trump administration's deportation of suspected Tren De Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act.

But impeachment would largely be a symbolic gesture, even if such a move passed the House.

INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT

"I don't think we know if we have the votes, and it's another intense whipping process for something that won't move at all in the Senate," one senior House GOP aide said. "I think our focus is to do something that is easier to get votes for and could actually get all the Republicans in the Senate."

A second senior House GOP aide was more blunt with Fox News Digital: "It's likelier that President Trump will acquire Canada as our 51st state than the U.S. House of Representatives impeaching federal judges."

"This is an impossible task," the second senior aide said.

A third source familiar with House GOP leadership discussions said, "The impeachment route isn't anyone's favorite on this."

It's being pushed by a faction of conservatives primarily in the House Freedom Caucus, however – and they appear buoyed by Trump's support for impeaching Boasberg.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced a resolution to impeach Boasberg for abuse of power. 

Gill told Fox News Digital earlier this week that Boasberg was a "rogue" judge who was "overstepping" his authority.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who previously told Fox News Digital that all options were on the table, suggested in multiple media interviews this week that the committee could hold a hearing on the matter.

Reps. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., are pushing resolutions to impeach other federal judges who blocked Trump policies as well.

However, with just 53 Republican senators, any impeachment resolution would need the help of Democrats to reach the two-thirds threshold required for removal after a Senate trial – which is highly unlikely to happen. 

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution, said all options should be available to Republicans. 

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

"We ought to look at [impeachment], we ought to look at jurisdiction-stripping, we ought to look at every option that needs to be addressed about judges that are actively taking steps to try to undermine the presidency," Roy told Fox News Digital in a brief interview on Thursday.

He also pointed out that an impeachment by the House is in itself a punishment, although symbolic – though Roy noted he was not "for or against" any one specific path right now.

It's worth noting that former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas remains the second-ever Cabinet secretary impeached, a permanent note on his legacy even though the then-Democrat-controlled Senate quickly dismissed a trial.

But getting the Mayorkas impeachment resolution passed through the House was a messy political affair, when the GOP was dealing with a similarly slim margin. It took two House-wide votes to pass that measure, with Republicans falling one vote short on the first attempt and then narrowly passing the resolution with three GOP defections on the second.

GOP leaders have had more success with critical votes this year, however, with Trump in the White House pressing holdouts on key legislation.

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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is not ruling anything out right now, at least publicly. A spokesperson for Johnson told Fox News Digital that he would look at all options available to take on "activist judges."

"Activist judges with political agendas pose a significant threat to the rule of law, equal justice, and the separation of powers. The speaker looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee as they review all available options under the Constitution to address this urgent matter," the spokesperson said.

Two other sources told Fox News Digital that another option Trump showed support for was a bill by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., to block federal district court judges from issuing nationwide injunctions.

SCOOP: Bill preventing activist judges from blocking Trump’s agenda backed by White House

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FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump has shown interest in a House GOP bill that would block federal judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, two sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital.

Top White House aides communicated to senior Capitol Hill staff this week that "the president wants this," the sources said. They said the White House felt that time was of the essence in the matter and that Trump wanted Congress to move swiftly.

It comes after various U.S. district court judges issued more than a dozen nationwide orders at least temporarily blocking Trump's executive orders.

The bill by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., if it passed Congress and was signed into law, would bar such judges in most cases from blocking Trump policies on a national scale.

INJUNCTION LIFTED ON TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS SLASHING FEDERAL DEI SUPPORT

Issa's office did not directly confirm whether the exchange occurred but told Fox News Digital, "President Trump knows we need a national solution to this major malfunction in the federal judiciary, and we think we have the momentum to get this done."

A White House official told Fox News Digital they would not get ahead of the president on legislative matters.

However, the idea has appeared to gain traction in the upper levels of the White House. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller complained on X twice Thursday about federal district judges having the ability to affect policies for the entire country, though he did not mention Issa's bill specifically.

"It takes 5 Supreme Court justices to issue a ruling that affects the whole nation. Yet lone District Court judges assume the authority to unilaterally dictate the policies of the entire executive branch of government," Miller posted. 

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

He posted again later, writing, "Under what theory of the constitution does a single Marxist judge in San Francisco have the same executive power as the Commander-in-Chief elected by the whole nation to lead the executive branch? No such theory exists. It is merely naked judicial tyranny."

Issa's legislation reads, "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no United States district court shall issue any order providing for injunctive relief, except in the case of such an order that is applicable only to limit the actions of a party to the case before such district court with respect to the party seeking injunctive relief from such district court."

The bill advanced through the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told CNN on Wednesday, "We think that's good. We passed it through the committee. We'll try to look to pass it on the House floor and move it through the process."

Jordan told Fox News Digital last month he thought Issa's bill "makes sense," and the committee would "try to move fairly quick on that bill." Fox News Digital reached out to the House Judiciary Committee for comment on Trump's backing of Issa's bill but did not hear back by press time.

However, it comes amid some disagreements among congressional Republicans about how to heed Trump's call to deal with "activist" judges.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, recently introduced a resolution to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after he ordered a 14-day emergency stop to Trump's plans to deport suspected Tren De Aragua gang members to El Salvador.

Gill argued that Boasberg abused his power in doing so, and told Fox News Digital this week that he hoped the resolution would go through the regular committee process – something Jordan seemed open to.

TRUMP SCORES BIG LEGAL WIN AGAINST PULITZER PRIZE BOARD MEMBERS AS LAWSUIT MOVES TO DISCOVERY

Jordan told multiple outlets he would potentially hold hearings on Gill's resolution, which is a traditional step in the impeachment inquiry process.

Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this week that he wanted Boasberg impeached as well.

However, multiple sources told Fox News Digital that House GOP leaders are more wary of the impeachment route, given the virtual guarantee that such a move would not get the necessary Democrats to pass the Senate.

"It's another intense whipping process for something that won't move at all in the Senate," one senior House GOP aide said. "I think the White House is trying to find something easier to do."

House Speaker Mike Johnson's office told Fox News Digital that he was looking at all available options when reached for comment on House Republicans' path forward on Thursday morning.

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"Activist judges with political agendas pose a significant threat to the rule of law, equal justice, and the separation of powers. The Speaker looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee as they review all available options under the Constitution to address this urgent matter," a spokesperson for Johnson, R-La., said.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, did not immediately comment on Issa's bill but a spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The recent surge of sweeping decisions by district judges merits serious scrutiny. The Senate Judiciary Committee will be closely examining this topic in a hearing and exploring potential legislative solutions in the weeks ahead." 

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

SCOOP: Impeachment articles hit judge who ordered Trump to stop Tren de Aragua deportation flights

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FIRST ON FOX: A House GOP lawmaker has filed impeachment articles against the federal judge who ordered the Trump administration to stop deportation flights being conducted under the Alien Enemies Act.

"For the past several weeks, we've seen several rogue activist judges try to impede the president from exercising, not only the mandate voters gave him, but his democratic and constitutional authority to keep the American people safe," Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "This is another example of a rogue judge overstepping his…authority."

Gill's resolution, first obtained by Fox News Digital, accused U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg of abusing his power in levying an emergency pause on the Trump administration's plans to deport illegal immigrants under a wartime authority first issued in 1798, which President Donald Trump recently invoked to get members of the criminal Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua out of the U.S.

"Chief Judge Boasberg required President Trump to turn around planes midair that had aliens associated with Tren De Aragua, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization," the resolution said. "This conduct jeopardizes the safety of the nation, represents an abuse of judicial power, and is detrimental to the orderly functioning of the judiciary. Using the powers of his office, Chief Judge Boasberg has attempted to seize power from the Executive Branch and interfere with the will of the American people."

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

In a brief interview with Fox News Digital shortly before filing his resolution, Gill suggested he wanted the matter to go through the House in traditional form – which would first put the resolution in front of the House Judiciary Committee, where Gill is a member.

"I'll be talking to [Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio] about it," Gill said. "I think the best way to do this…is to go through the judiciary committee, which is where impeachment of judges runs through. I think the more we can stick with that plan, the better."

A legal firestorm is brewing after Boasberg verbally issued a 14-day restraining order Saturday night to immediately halt the Trump administration's Tren De Aragua deportation plan. It comes in response to human rights groups arguing that Venezuelan nationals with legitimate asylum claims are in danger of being swept up in the deportations, despite having no known connection to the notorious gang.

The Texas Republican, who is class president for first-term members in the 119th Congress, first threatened to file impeachment articles against Boasberg on Sunday. Trump backed the move on Tuesday morning in a fiery post on his Truth Social account.

Trump called him a "Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator," adding, "HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY."

"I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" Trump wrote.

Gill accused Boasberg of knowingly "tying the president's hands so that Trump and his team, instead of executing on the mandate the voters gave him, are litigating every single action that the president is taking."  

He said it was "unconstitutional" and a "usurpation of executive authority."

The Trump administration has pointed out that the judge's written order was issued after two planes carrying alleged gang members were already in the air, arguing it was too late to turn the planes around at that point. A third plane that took off after the first two was not carrying any Alien Enemies Act deportees, the administration said. 

"All of the planes that were subject to the written order, the judge's written order, took off before the order was entered in the courtroom on Saturday," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. She said the administration did not run afoul of any court order.

However, Boasberg pushed back in a court hearing later that day, according to The Associated Press, saying at one point to the Trump administration's lawyer, "I’m just asking how you think my equitable powers do not attach to a plane that has departed the U.S., even if it’s in international airspace."

RUBIO HEADS TO PANAMA, LATIN AMERICA TO PURSUE TRUMP'S 'GOLDEN AGE' AGENDA

The standoff could make it all the way to the Supreme Court and could have seismic repercussions on the bounds of lower-level federal judges' authority.

Gill's move also comes after similar threats by other Trump allies in the House. Reps. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., have all vowed to file impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer for blocking Department of Government Efficiency efforts.

The court declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Gill's resolution.

Judge who ordered deportation flights of Venezuelan gang members be returned faces calls for impeachment

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After Obama-appointed Judge James Boasberg issued an order Saturday halting President Donald Trump's rapid deportation of Venezuelan gang members, Texas GOP Rep. Brandon Gill swiftly announced plans to file articles of impeachment in an effort to remove him.

Gill made the announcement on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, noting he would be filing the motion this week. In a subsequent tweet from Elon Musk, the entrepreneur turned Trump advisor responded simply, "Necessary."

"The very worst judges – those who repeatedly flout the law – should at least be put to an impeachment vote, whether that vote succeeds or not," Musk followed up in a separate post on X Monday. 

TOM HOMAN CALLS OUT ‘RADICAL’ JUDGE FOR ‘DEFYING LOGIC’ WITH RULING TO STALL TRUMP DEPORTATIONS

Republicans have been piling on Boasberg after he issued a 14-day restraining order halting the Trump administration from deporting violent Venezuelan gang members who entered the U.S. illegally, via powers laid out in the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act. 

Last used during World War II, the Alien Enemies Act was implemented in advance of a potential war with the French at the time, due to fears that immigrants would sympathize with France. The law provides the president broad powers to imprison or deport noncitizens during a time of war.  

"Another day, another judge unilaterally deciding policy for the whole country. This time to benefit foreign gang members," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, posted on X. "If the Supreme Court or Congress doesn’t fix, we’re headed towards a constitutional crisis. Senate Judiciary Cmte taking action."

TRUMP THANKS EL SALVADOR FOR TAKING IN ALLEGED GANG MEMBERS DEPORTED FROM US: ‘WE WILL NOT FORGET’

Boasberg's ruling came in response to a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and left-wing legal advocacy group Democracy Forward. The lawsuit alleged that Trump's intent to use his "wartime authority" to deport dangerous illegal immigrants was unlawful, since the U.S. is not in the midst of a "declared war."

The lawsuit followed a proclamation signed by Trump on Saturday, which alleged that violent gang members belonging to the Venezuelan-based Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang were "conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States." Last month, Trump moved to designate a slew of Mexican drug cartels, including TdA, as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)."

Fox News Digital reached out to Gill to glean more exact details about when he plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Boasberg, but did not hear back in time for publication of this story. 

SCOOP: Trump crafts plan to cut spending without Congress after shutdown is averted

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FIRST ON FOX: The White House has already started mapping out how to make good on its promise to slash federal spending in preparation for a six-month government funding bill to pass through Congress.

Two people familiar with the conversations told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought are working on a strategy for impounding federal funds that Congress is expected to allocate this week, before the partial government shutdown deadline on March 14.

Trump and his allies have made no secret of their belief that the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is unconstitutionally constraining the powers of the president. But the new development is a significant step toward a likely legal showdown as Democrats warn they will respond if Trump tries to bypass Congress on federal spending.

The fight could go all the way up to the Supreme Court.

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It comes as Senate Republicans and Democrats are at an impasse over a Trump-backed government funding bill known as a continuing resolution (CR). The Senate GOP needs as many as eight Democrats to cross the aisle and vote for the bill, which the left has widely panned as an avenue to let Trump and Elon Musk dismantle the federal bureaucracy.

The measure is a rough extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding levels, meant to carry the government through the beginning of FY 2026 on Oct. 1. 

It's the third such extension since the beginning of FY 2024, but the first to take place under a fully GOP-controlled Washington. 

Republicans have said it would give them more time to cobble together conservative spending bills for FY 2026, and have celebrated the CR essentially freezing government spending for a year.

Trump and House GOP leaders worked overtime convincing holdouts to vote for the CR this week, as some conservatives balked at the idea of extending Biden administration-era funding.

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But the promise of Trump using Congress' funding allocations as a ceiling and not a floor ultimately played a big part in convincing conservatives.

"We appropriate, that’s an important principle. But then the chief executive can make decisions below that spending level. The chief executive can say, ‘Hey this isn't the best use of money,'" Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital in an interview this week.

Roy has been a key figure in government spending talks, acting as a liaison between conservative fiscal hawks and leaders in the House and White House.

He and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., both agreed with Vought and Trump that the Impoundment Control Act – which was passed in response to Congress at the time believing President Richard Nixon was holding back lawful funding because he disagreed with it personally – was unconstitutional.

"The chief executive can say, ‘I don't have to buy a $500 hammer, I can buy a $100 hammer. I don't have to buy a $100 million carrier, I could buy $50 million carrier,' or whatever. He's the executive. So if that money is then spent properly to carry out the functions of government, why should you have to spend every dollar of it, right? It’s literally unconstitutional," Roy said.

Roy said he believed the same authority would apply to a Democratic president.

"By the way, I realize this means that would be true for Joe Biden or that would be true for some future Democrat, and I'm OK with that. There's always going to be some debate," Roy said. "There's going to be some contours the courts would give us. Congress might step in and clarify the law, and that might be deemed constitutional… but to blanket to say the president can’t impound, I think is facially unconstitutional."

Norman told Fox News Digital, "The 1974 impoundment act was against Richard Nixon. It’s a different day now."

He also said Trump and Vought were "going to move forward" on impoundment.

"He’s got the constitutional right to do it, so he’s going to push on with it, and thinks the courts will ultimately side with him," Norman said. "I can't get in Trump’s mind, but I know he’s hell-bent on interpreting the Constitution as his right to use impoundment."

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Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who served as House Democrats' lead counsel during Trump's first impeachment, told Fox News Digital the move would be patently unconstitutional.

"It is illegal for the president to act unilaterally and either rescind or change congressionally designated funds," Goldman said.

In the event of likely court challenges – which Goldman pointed out were already going on with Trump moving to cut various programs – House Democrats would likely move to help, he said.

"We can file an amicus brief, and we likely would do that on such a critical issue of congressional power," he said.

At the same time, both Roy and Norman signaled Trump's congressional allies were discussing rescission as another avenue to spend less than the CR allocates.

The Impoundment Control Act provided a mechanism for the legislative and executive branches to enact spending cuts via specific rescissions. Such a bill would only require 51 votes in the Senate rather than the standard 60-vote threshold for passage, meaning Democrats in theory would not be needed.

"I think that they are concurrent plans, and we will use all of those tools at the appropriate time, but I say that as an observer from Congress," Roy said, noting he had no insight into White House discussions on impoundment.

Norman said Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will play a role in identifying where the funds could be found.

"There’s going to be a lot of things in it. What DOGE has done is identify, but now if he’s just going to identify and we don’t move forward on rescission – it’s gotta have some effect," he said.

It's not immediately clear if such conversations have reached House GOP leadership, however. Norman said they were "just beginning."

But lawmakers have been toying with the idea of Trump pursuing spending cuts after the CR is passed for days.

Vice President JD Vance huddled with House Republicans behind closed doors earlier this week, making an 11th hour plea for unity on the looming CR vote.

Among his pitches, people told Fox News Digital at the time, was the need to keep the government open to allow DOGE to do its work.

"We will have much more flexibility for DOGE cuts once we've had more time to identify and quantify them," one House Republican said of Vance's message.

There's also the matter of whether to repeal the Impoundment Control Act – Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., introduced a bill to do so earlier this year, and it's gathered a significant number of Republican co-sponsors.

But a senior House Republican told Fox News Digital that while it was "on the table," it's not likely that the Senate's 53 Republicans will get enough help from Democrats to reach 60 votes.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and OMB for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.

Judicial pushback on Trump ‘hurting American people,’ says GOP rep leading impeachment charge

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Georgia Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde, who earlier this month announced he was drafting articles of impeachment against a Rhode Island judge overseeing one of President Donald Trump's legal challenges, condemned judges who continue to bar Trump's agenda from being implemented. 

Clyde is working in conjunction with Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., who is also preparing impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer. The Georgia Republican said the real victims of judicial pushback against Trump's policies are the American people. 

"You're not just hurting the president," Clyde told Fox News Digital. "You're hurting the American people because they're the ones who elected him, and they're the ones who want him to do this – to exercise these specific authorities. And these judges are really denying the American people their rights."

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Clyde threatened to file articles of impeachment against District Judge John McConnell who, at the time, filed a motion ordering the Trump administration to comply with a previous restraining order. The order temporarily blocked the administration’s efforts to pause federal grants and loans. 

McConnell has since come under fire from Trump supporters and conservatives who have accused him of being a liberal activist after a 2021 video of him saying courts must "stand and enforce the rule of law, that is, against arbitrary and capricious actions by what could be a tyrant or could be whatnot" resurfaced online.  

"You have to take a moment and realize that this, you know, middle-class, White, male, privileged person needs to understand the human being that comes before us that may be a woman, may be Black, may be transgender, may be poor, may be rich, may be – whatever," McConnell said in the video, according to WPRI.

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Clyde acknowledged that judges have their own opinions and "they're certainly entitled to them, but they're not overt and political in mentioning them," saying "they don't want to be seen as potentially having a conflict of interest."

"And I think that's very, very much the case when it comes to both Judge Engelmayer and Judge McConnell," the lawmaker said. 

Since taking office in January, activist and legal groups, along with elected officials, local jurisdictions and individuals, have launched more than 70 lawsuits against the administration. The legal challenges cover Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts to slash unnecessary government spending, and Trump's removal of various federal employees. 

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With regard to the specific suits over DOGE's actions, Clyde told Fox News Digital he expects the president to "prevail on the merits of his case."

"I think the president will certainly prevail on the merits of his case. He has the authority under Article II of the Constitution," Clyde said. "But yet for the entire time of the restraining order, the judge will have prevented this duly elected authority from being exercised by the president. And also, they will have prevented the American people from dealing with waste, fraud and abuse in their government."

Clyde said he hopes other members of Congress join his and Crane's efforts to continue holding judges accountable, saying those barring Trump's agenda from being implemented "need to understand that they're not going to get away with it."

"They can't just stop the president from doing what the Constitution gives him the authority to do, and the people have given him the authority to do," Clyde said. 

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind and Diana Stancy contributed to this report.