Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., has filed an impeachment resolution against U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, alleging she has defied federal law and Supreme Court rulings by blocking the Trump administration's efforts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals. Burroughs, an Obama-appointed judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, issued a temporary stay on Friday blocking the termination of TPS for Somalis amid a lawsuit arguing the decision was discriminatory.
James Percival, DHS Chief Counsel, criticized the ruling, stating that a group of federal district judges are repeatedly obstructing deportations and TPS rollbacks despite Supreme Court decisions. Percival characterized these actions as "naked political activism."
Ogles’ resolution contends that Burroughs attempted to circumvent the Supreme Court's June ruling in Mullin v. Doe, which aimed to limit lower courts' ability to block TPS decisions. The resolution asserts that Burroughs entertained “spurious allegations of racial and national-origin discrimination” against an administration that has not renewed any TPS designations. "This judicial activist's obstruction of the people's will must be stopped. Judge Burroughs must be impeached," Ogles told Fox News Digital.
TPS is a humanitarian program that offers refuge in the U.S. to individuals fleeing war or natural disasters in their home countries. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the TPS termination for Somalis amended their complaint to address the Supreme Court's ruling, leading to Burroughs' latest stay order.
This impeachment effort is part of a broader campaign by some Republican lawmakers to challenge judges they describe as "activist." Previously, an impeachment effort against U.S. federal judge James Boasberg failed to gain traction among senior House Republicans who questioned its effectiveness. However, conservatives reiterated their intentions earlier this year to pursue the removal of judges deemed to be overstepping their authority.