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A federal judge has tossed out the Trump administration’s lawsuits against 15 Maryland judges who have ruled against President Donald Trump’s policies.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against all 15 judges with the US District Court for the District of Maryland in June. The complaint challenged Chief Judge Georga Russell III’s order pausing deportations for two business days when a detained illegal immigrant files a habeas corpus petition. The agency referred to the ruling as an “automatic injunction” that hampered the government’s ability to enforce immigration laws.
The DOJ asserted that district courts do not have jurisdiction over matters related to immigration. The complaint demanded that the judges recuse themselves from immigration-related cases.
In a scathing ruling, Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, threw out the DOJ’s lawsuit, calling the case improper and constitutionally reckless. The judge argued that the policy was temporary and based on appellate court procedures. It also allowed judges time to properly evaluate the case.
Cullen acknowledged the administration’s objections to the judge’s rulings. “Fair enough, as far as it goes. If these arguments were made in the proper forum, they might well get some traction,” he wrote. However, he criticized the White House for bypassing regular channels like appeals or judicial council petitions. Instead, “the Executive decided to sue—and in a big way,” by suing every single judge in the Maryland district, the judge noted.
