JUDGE DREAD

Shocking Scale of Trump Goons’ Desperate Judge Purge Exposed

The extraordinary demand could disrupt dozens of active cases involving the administration’s deadly immigration crackdown.

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The Department of Justice’s attempt to force a group of Minnesota federal judges off Department of Homeland Security cases threatens to disrupt dozens of immigration proceedings, a PunchUp investigation has found. The probe by the Daily Beast’s sister Substack uncovered the scale of the DOJ’s attempt to remove seven Minnesota judges from cases involving the Department of Homeland Security after they spoke to The New York Times about Trump’s immigration crackdown. The DOJ lodged a judicial misconduct complaint on September 30, demanding their recusal from DHS-related matters. PunchUp examined federal court records and identified at least 50 pending cases involving six of the judges, including challenges to ICE detentions and attempts to prevent deportations. The seventh judge has not been publicly identified. The demand could also affect cases in which judges have already ruled against immigration authorities. Stacey Young, executive director of Justice Connection, accused the department of trying to intimidate the judiciary. “DOJ leaders aren’t interested in an independent judiciary, and they’re willing to bully and intimidate judges until they get what they want,” she told PunchUp. The misconduct complaint has not automatically removed the judges from their cases. The DOJ did not respond to PunchUp’s questions about how many proceedings could be affected.

Tom Latchem exposes the secrets, scandals, and stories that powerful people and institutions want to keep under wraps. Follow all of his reporting at PunchUp on Substack.