DOJ steps up fight against federal judges after some from Minnesota speak to media about cases linked to immigration surge

The Justice Department is filing a complaint of judicial misconduct against nearly all of Minnesota’s federal judges, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Wednesday, part of an escalation of tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary that came to a head during the winter wave of immigration enforcement actions.

Blanche said the demand that judges be disqualified from immigration-related cases was prompted by a recent New York Times article in which six federal judges described the Justice Department’s failure to comply with court orders during the wave of pressure as a serious threat to the rule of law.

In their comments, the justices focused on how the DOJ’s understaffing appeared to prevent the administration from complying with their orders — similar to comments they have previously made in legal contexts. But Blanche said Wednesday that the comments were “overtly political” in violation of court rules and reflected “obvious bias” against the Department of Homeland Security.

While the ethics complaint is pending before the federal appeals court that oversees federal judges in Minnesota, Blanche is calling on district court judges to recuse themselves from DHS-related cases.

This request may not have much impact, however, given that previous efforts and public complaints have gone nowhere.

The Trump administration has tried a variety of tactics to hit back at judges it views as hostile to President Donald Trump’s agenda. That includes an unsuccessful DOJ lawsuit — filed against Maryland’s entire federal judiciary — challenging an order covering that court that limited the administration’s ability to quickly deport migrants who contest their deportation.

It also includes the willingness of senior Trump officials to use exceptionally harsh language to publicly call out judges by name for decisions they disagree with.

As courts across the country have faced an aggressive public backlash from the president and his allies for rulings that blocked Trump’s policy initiatives, judges have sounded the alarm about how the fiery rhetoric has raised the specter of threats and intimidation.

“These judges have spoken to the media, or at least to the New York Times, about cases, some of which are ongoing, in a matter that the department considers to be a flagrant violation of their ethical duties,” Blanche said.

This story is breaking and will be updated.