Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office: A clash with judges who opposed his policies
In the first 100 days of his second term, US President Donald Trump has found himself locked in a fierce confrontation with the federal judiciary. Several key court rulings have blocked his administration’s controversial policies on mass firings and deportations, leading to a growing legal battle. Trump has responded with sharp criticisms of the judges involved. As legal challenges mount, the clash between the Trump administration and the courts has become one of the most significant aspects of his early term.
Federal judges push back against mass firings
On March 14, US District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ordered the Trump administration to rehire thousands of federal probationary employees who were fired in February. Judge Alsup, appointed by President Bill Clinton, found the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) mass firings unlawful.
“It is a sad day when our government would fire a good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that is a lie,” Alsup said.
Alsup criticised the administration for attempting to block OPM’s acting director Charles Ezell from testifying, after Ezell’s written statement was withdrawn.
Judge James Bredar in Maryland also ruled against the layoffs, issuing a two-week halt and finding that Trump officials had bypassed proper procedures.
Boasberg blocks deportations amid defiance
On March 15, Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order blocking deportations under Trump’s executive orders. However, the administration proceeded with deportations to El Salvador, escalating tensions.
In court, Boasberg attempted to order deportation flights to be returned, arguing the administration was in open defiance. According to CNN, Boasberg demanded clarity on Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify removals, questioning the timing of deportations.
Trump later lashed out at Boasberg on Truth Social, calling him a “Radical Left Lunatic” and claiming: “This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!”
Trump warns judges are overstepping after layoff rulings
On March 17, Trump defended his mass layoffs of about 30,000 probationary federal employees after two judges blocked the move. Trump called the rulings “ridiculous” and warned that judges were overstepping presidential authority. Judges William Alsup and James Bredar ruled the firings illegal, ordering reinstatements and halts to the dismissals.
Trump rages against judicial oversight
On March 22, Trump warned that nationwide injunctions issued by federal judges could lead to “the destruction of our Country.” He accused judges of “usurping presidential authority” and demanded action from Chief Justice John Roberts.
“Unlawful Nationwide Injunctions by Radical Left Judges could very well lead to the destruction of our Country! These people are Lunatics,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He singled out Boasberg again, branding him a “grandstander looking for publicity.”
Legal setbacks mount for Trump
By March 24, the Justice Department appealed Alsup’s ruling to the US Supreme Court after being ordered to reinstate fired workers. The administration framed its federal downsizing initiative as a crucial reform to “inefficiency” in government, supported by billionaire Elon Musk.
Separately, on March 25, US Circuit Judge Patricia Millett blasted Trump’s deportation policy in a heated hearing, stating: “Nazis were given more rights to contest their removal from the United States during World War II,” according to The Washington Post.
The comment highlighted concerns that Venezuelan migrants were denied basic legal rights.
Judges warn of constitutional violations
On April 4, Judge Paula Xinis ordered the Trump administration to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
“From the moment he was seized, it was unconstitutional,” Xinis said, per NPR.
Justice Department lawyers admitted the deportation was an administrative error but argued the judge lacked authority because Garcia was no longer in US custody.
Meanwhile, Boasberg ruled on April 16 that there was “probable cause” to hold Trump officials in criminal contempt for ignoring a court order blocking deportations, reported The New York Times.
Supreme Court intervenes
In an emergency 7–2 decision on April 19, the US Supreme Court temporarily blocked the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan detainees. The Court directed the government “not to remove any member of the putative class of detainees until further order.”
A federal judge in Colorado also ordered on April 22 that Venezuelans be given 21 days’ notice before deportations, adding further hurdles to Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Trump warns of ‘dangerous country’ after migrant deportation delays
On April 23, Trump again criticised judges for blocking his migrant deportation efforts, arguing the US legal system isn’t built to give every migrant a full trial. Responding to recent court rulings requiring due process before deportations, Trump said the system wasn’t meant for mass trials and warned that delays could make the country “very dangerous.”
Also Read | Donald Trump tells The Atlantic, ‘I run the country & the world’
Trump Administration hints at prosecuting judges
The standoff reached a new extreme on April 28 when White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt suggested that federal or even Supreme Court judges could face prosecution if they obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
When asked whether the administration would arrest judges, Leavitt said: “Anyone who is breaking the law or obstructing federal law enforcement officials from doing their jobs is putting themselves at risk of being prosecuted, absolutely.”
She added that judges helping migrants evade detention were committing “a clear-cut case of obstruction.”
Also Read | Trump’s 100 days: Thousands of federal employees laid off, 275,000 impacted
