Court Judges are trying to get in Trump’s way. But one is facing serious consequences.
Because a federal judge faces impeachment from Congress after these bombshell revelations surface.
Congress Prepares to Rein In Rogue Judges as Trump Deportation Block Sparks Outrage
As the Trump administration presses forward with its mission to deport illegal alien gang members, a federal judge’s decision to halt those efforts has ignited a firestorm—and Congress is gearing up to respond. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg’s ruling came months after he attended a privately-funded legal conference in Idaho, one drenched in anti-Trump sentiment and bankrolled by groups hostile to the administration’s immigration agenda. Now, with a judicial ethics report in hand, lawmakers are poised to hold Boasberg and other activist judges accountable for what some see as a blatant overreach against Trump’s lawful priorities.
The Sun Valley conference, attended by Boasberg in July 2024, included nine Democrat-appointed judges and just three Trump nominees. Its sessions—“Role of Judges in a Democracy” and “State of Democracy”—echoed the Democrat Party’s 2024 refrain of “saving democracy,” a theme that critics say doubles as a dog whistle for opposing Trump. The “Privately Funded Seminar Disclosure Report” confirms Boasberg’s presence but remains silent on whether he pocketed payments or travel perks beyond the $480 threshold that triggers mandatory disclosure under rules set by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. This murkiness has lawmakers demanding answers—and action.
The report, accessible via the D.C. District Court’s website, caught the eye of Just the News after a retired Democrat-appointed judge flagged it, uneasy that the conference’s focus strayed too close to partisan lines. Boasberg’s refusal to clarify whether his “payment” was mere reimbursement or something more substantial only fuels suspicions. With Congress now eyeing judicial overreach, this opacity could spell trouble for judges seen as cozying up to Trump’s foes.
Hosted by the Rodel Institute as part of its Judicial Fellowship, the event leaned heavily on funding from foundations like the Henry Luce Foundation, which backs the Migration Policy Institute—a group that slammed the Trump administration for bending “U.S. government in extraordinary ways towards aim of mass deportations.”
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, another donor, has poured cash into the Brennan Center for Justice, a frequent courtroom adversary of Trump policies, while the Hewlett Foundation has decried the administration’s handling of the January 6, 2021, Capitol unrest. These ties have congressional Trump allies ready to probe whether such influences are warping judicial decisions.
Rodel’s leadership doesn’t help its case. CEO John Kroger, a past conference presenter, has railed against Trump on LinkedIn, claiming the administration “intentionally” took “a very large number of actions that violate statutes or clear constitutional precedent”—moves he says once warranted “bipartisan impeachment.”
Kroger has also branded Trump “disqualified” from the presidency, writing, “Calling the convicted felons who attacked the Capitol on January 6 ‘patriots’ and ‘hostages,’ giving them a salute, and promising them pardons disqualifies you from being president. Truly awful. Real patriots oppose political violence and support the rule of law, plain and simple.” With Congress now watching, such statements could drag Kroger—and the judges he hosted—into the spotlight.
The conference’s speakers pile on the pressure. Catholic University law professor Cara Drinan, who led a session on judges’ democratic roles, has ripped into Trump’s record. In a 2018 Huffington Post piece, she blasted the administration for “keeping migrant children in cages, claiming that a policy of family separation deters future illegal immigration.” She wrote, “The images of what this policy entails are horrific: terrified, confused children watching as agents search their mothers; parents pleading with agents to show mercy; children sleeping on mats inside wire cages covered with Mylar blankets. The sounds of this inhumanity are even harder to stomach: children calling for their mother and father, sobbing to the point of breathlessness.”
Drinan also called out Trump’s “abrupt reversal” after he ended the policy, noting, “After claiming for days that he did not have the authority to address the family separation crisis at the border, President Donald Trump appeared to do just that with the stroke of a pen.” Her history of opposing Trump’s Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh and pushing progressive causes only sharpens congressional scrutiny.
Rodel claims nonpartisanship, with its judicial fellowship director Jeff King—a former Kansas Republican legislator—at the helm. Yet its book award honors Mickey Edwards, a one-time GOP congressman who turned against Trump, backing Biden in 2020 and Harris in 2024. With nine Obama or Biden appointees outnumbering three Trump picks like Amul Thapar among attendees, the event’s slant is tough to dispute—a fact not lost on congressional leaders now vowing to act.
For Trump supporters in Congress, Boasberg’s attendance at this anti-Trump retreat—followed by his ruling against deporting gang members—crosses a line. The administration’s border security push is a cornerstone of its law-and-order stance, and lawmakers see judges hobnobbing with its critics as a direct challenge to executive authority. The ethics report lists attendees but sidesteps the potential sway of the conference’s agenda, leaving Congress to fill the gaps. With hearings on the horizon, lawmakers are signaling they won’t let activist judges undermine Trump’s mandate unchecked.
The rules governing judicial seminars may allow such gatherings, but the lack of clarity on funding and the event’s anti-Trump vibe have lit a fuse. Congressional allies of the administration are ready to haul Boasberg and others before them, demanding transparency and accountability. As Trump fights to secure the nation’s borders, the prospect of rogue judges thwarting that effort from ritzy conference rooms won’t go unanswered. Lawmakers are drawing a line: judges can attend fancy retreats, but they can’t dodge the consequences when their rulings clash with the will of the people—and the president they elected.
The Federalist Wire will update you on any news from Congress on this issue.
