Judge at Center of Trump Deportation Clash Assigned to Signal Chat Lawsuit

Judge James Boasberg, under fire from the Trump administration, will now oversee a case alleging federal record-keeping violations involving encrypted communications.

Judge James Boasberg, who recently blocked Trump administration deportation flights of alleged Venezuelan gang members, has been assigned to a lawsuit over officials' use of the Signal app to discuss national security matters.
The lawsuit, filed by watchdog group American Oversight, alleges violations of the Federal Records Act due to the use of Signal's auto-delete function for sensitive government discussions.
The Trump administration has cited the state secrets privilege to withhold information from Boasberg about the deportation flights, intensifying tensions between the executive branch and the judiciary.
Republican lawmakers, led by Senators Mike Lee and Josh Hawley, are pushing legislation to limit district court judges' ability to issue nationwide injunctions, citing concerns over judicial overreach.
Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare public rebuke of President Trump following his calls to impeach Boasberg, emphasizing the importance of judicial independence in the face of executive criticism.