Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Rising threats and intimidation against federal judges, including copycat "pizza delivery" threats referencing murdered judge's son — Federal judges including Esther Salas, John McConnell, and Robert Lasnik reported an intensifying climate of threats and intimidation since Trump's return to office in January 2025. Judges described receiving threatening calls, death threats, and coordinated "pizza delivery" threats using the name of Salas's son Daniel, who was murdered in 2020 by a disgruntled lawyer. McConnell received ~400–500 hostile calls and six credible death threats after ruling against Trump's funding freeze; Lasnik reported pizzas sent to upwards of 50 judges. Chief Justice Roberts warned the threats undermine the rule of law.

Supporting reports

• Federal court proceedings in New Jersey cancelled due to Alina Habba authority questions — The New York Times reported that federal court proceedings in New Jersey were abruptly cancelled, including pretrial conferences, plea hearings, and a grand jury, due to questions about Alina Habba's authority to serve as acting US attorney. Maria Noto, a former president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, told the Times, "I've never seen anything like this," and added, "We're all incredulous."
• Federal criminal proceedings in New Jersey suspended over acting U.S. Attorney authority challenge — The New York Times reported that federal criminal proceedings across New Jersey were canceled due to questions regarding the constitutional authority of acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba. Court hearings, grand jury proceedings, plea deals, and other proceedings were put on hold. A drug trial scheduled to begin in Camden on August 4 was moved to Pennsylvania after a defense attorney filed a motion challenging Habba's appointment as unconstitutional.

Supporting reports

• Emil Bove confirmed to federal appeals court by US Senate — The Senate confirmed Emil Bove, a former Trump defense attorney and top DOJ official, to a lifetime seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals by a 50-49 vote. The confirmation proceeded despite whistleblower allegations that Bove advocated for ignoring court orders, misled Congress about dropping corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and participated in firing prosecutors who worked January 6 cases. All Democrats and two Republicans opposed the nomination.
• Senate confirmed Emil Bove as federal appeals court judge — The Republican-controlled Senate narrowly confirmed former Trump lawyer Emil Bove for a lifetime appointment as a federal appeals court judge, despite whistleblower allegations and widespread concerns over his fitness for office, including from over 900 former DOJ attorneys who penned a letter opposing his appointment.
• Senate confirms Emil Bove to federal judgeship despite whistleblower allegations — The Senate confirmed Emil Bove to a federal judgeship on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals with 50 Republicans voting in favor and 47 Democrats voting against. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined Democrats in opposition, with Murkowski stating that someone who counseled attorneys to ignore court orders should not receive a lifetime seat on the bench. Republican Thom Tillis (R-NC) voted in favor, illustrating Republican enablement of the administration's assault on the rule of law.
• Emil Bove confirmed to US Court of Appeals for Third Circuit on 50-49 Senate vote — The Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Emil Bove to a lifetime appointment on the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on a 50-49 vote, despite opposition from over 80 retired judges and three whistleblowers alleging serious ethical violations. Bove, who served as acting deputy attorney general, faced allegations of disregarding court orders, firing prosecutors for political reasons, and pressuring DOJ lawyers to defy judicial rulings. The Senate Judiciary Committee chair dismissed whistleblower concerns as "delay-and-obstruction tactics" without substantive investigation.

Supporting reports

• Trump's special assistant ordered removal of interim U.S. Attorney Leigh Grace — An email from Trump's special assistant to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Grace claimed that district court judges lacked authority to appoint her as interim New Jersey U.S. Attorney because Alina Habba had resigned before her appointment. The email stated that even if the court had such authority, "the president hereby removes you from office" and declared Habba the acting U.S. Attorney. This action directly contradicted the court's appointment of Grace.

Supporting reports

• Attorney General Bondi filed misconduct complaint against Judge Boasberg — On Twitter, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that her office filed a misconduct complaint against Judge James Boasberg, who oversees the lawsuit against the Trump administration's removal of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador's megaprison. Bondi accused Boasberg of making "improper public comments about President Trump and his Administration," after he allegedly suggested at a meeting of judges in March that the Trump administration might "disregard rulings of federal courts" and trigger "a constitutional crisis."
• — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the DOJ filed a misconduct complaint against U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg, claiming he made "improper public comments" about President Trump and his administration that "undermined the integrity of the judiciary." According to reporting, Boasberg's actual comments were expressing concern that the Trump administration was liable to "disregard rulings of federal courts leading to a constitutional crisis" at a judicial conference. The complaint appears to target Boasberg for expressing professional judicial concerns.

Supporting reports

• ICE implements pattern of courthouse arrests targeting migrants with ongoing cases and longer US tenure — ICE agents have conducted arrests at immigration courthouses across multiple states (Texas, Illinois) targeting migrants whose cases remain ongoing and have not been dismissed by judges. The Guardian's reporting documents that ICE is arresting individuals who have been in the US longer than two years—exceeding the legal threshold for expedited removal—and those with legal pathways to remain in the country. After apprehension, detainees are transferred to often overcrowded, privately run detention facilities sometimes far from their homes and families, where they face limited access to attorneys and high-stakes deportation proceedings. The pattern is occurring under Trump administration pressure for ICE to achieve 3,000 daily arrests, a tenfold increase from Biden's final year.

Supporting reports

• Chicago immigration court attendance plummets as ICE arrests deter migrants from appearing — ICE plainclothes officers have been documented attending immigration court in Chicago with target lists, apprehending court attendees regardless of whether their cases are dismissed. Detainees are transported to detention facilities in Missouri, Florida, and Texas—often far from family and support networks. The lag in ICE's online detainee locator has caused some detainees to effectively disappear from public tracking. As word of these arrests has spread through immigrant communities, court attendance has dropped dramatically, creating a secondary enforcement effect: migrants now avoid court appearances entirely, risking automatic deportation orders for no-shows.

Supporting reports

• Government attorney moves to dismiss asylum cases in San Antonio court; judge grants one dismissal without stated reason — At San Antonio immigration court, a government attorney moved to dismiss the cases of two single adults—a man and a woman—both seeking asylum or other relief. The judge granted the man's case dismissal even before the government attorney provided a reason. The judge then informed the man, using a Turkish interpreter, that he would likely be placed in expedited removal despite having entered the US more than two years earlier—beyond the legal threshold for expedited removal. The woman, who had been in the country for nearly four years and was applying for a visa for victims of serious crimes, was not represented by counsel. The judge threatened to order her repatriation but the government attorney "saved" her by requesting dismissal instead. Both individuals were apprehended by ICE agents immediately after leaving the courtroom.