A group of more than 150 retired state and federal judges criticized the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on the judiciary, calling them an attempt to undermine the rule of law in a letter sent Monday to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The judges took issue with how the administration handled the April arrest of Hannah Dugan, a Wisconsin judge accused of attempting to prevent federal agents from arresting an undocumented man outside her courtroom.
“This latest action is yet another attempt to intimidate and threaten the judiciary after a series of rulings by judges appointed by presidents of both parties holding the Trump Administration accountable for its countless violations of the Constitution and laws of the United States,” the judges wrote.
FBI agents arrested Dugan, with FBI Director Kash Patel sharing a photo of her perp walk, while Bondi accused Dugan and other judges of being “deranged” soon after.
“This attempt to intimidate the judiciary will fail,” the judges added. “The American people understand that the Constitution of the United States has made the nation’s judicial officers the guardians of the rule of law in our country, not the President.”
The Independent has contacted the Justice Department for comment.
As The Independent has reported, there are increasing fears the Trump administration could prompt a constitutional crisis, given its repeated attacks and alleged disregard for the courts.
The administration is accused of ignoring a federal court to turn around a series of deportation flights bound for El Salvador.
Immigration officials have also admitted deporting a man to that country despite an order barring action, a mistake the administration now argues it has no power to remedy even though the Supreme Court ordered Trump to facilitate his return.
After facing scrutiny from a judge over its El Salvador flights, Trump took to social media in March to personally attack the judge overseeing the case as a “Radical Left Lunatic” who didn’t have the legitimacy to rule on immigration, while his administration sought to remove the official from the case.
The statements prompted a highly unusual public rebuke from Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts.
“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” he said in a statement issued by the court. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”
