U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is presiding over efforts to unseal the search warrant that led to a raid on the Washington, D.C., home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. The warrant was used in federal investigations examining discrepancies in financial disclosures and allegations of immigration fraud.
Trump, a vocal critic of Omar, has previously attacked Boasberg, calling him a "Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge" and suggesting impeachment in March 2025 after the judge temporarily blocked deportation flights. Trump also accused Boasberg of bias.
The raid on Omar's home occurred weeks before the midterm elections, amidst a significant political issue in Minnesota concerning alleged fraud in social services programs. Following the raid, conducted by Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, multiple entities including The New York Times and the watchdog group Judicial Watch requested the warrant be unsealed.
The Justice Department has argued that releasing the warrant's details could compromise the ongoing investigation. Boasberg ordered the department to present its arguments against unsealing the warrant. The department requested a delay, citing the need for the search warrant to be fully executed.
Media organizations, including The New York Times, contend that while a physical search occurred weeks prior, sensitive information in the warrant should be redacted rather than withholding the entire document. Omar's attorneys are also engaged in a separate dispute with the Justice Department, seeking the return of seized property and alleging agents violated protections for her congressional work, failed to provide a copy of the warrant, and prevented her from contacting legal counsel during the search.
Boasberg's involvement in this case follows other decisions that have drawn criticism from Trump and his allies. These include ordering the preservation of communications related to U.S. military strikes in Yemen and signing nondisclosure orders in the Arctic Frost investigation. He also oversaw the sentencing of former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, who pleaded guilty to altering an email used in an application for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant.