Judge fighting Trump over El Salvador deportations assigned to lawsuit over Signal chat leak

A new lawsuit targeting President Donald Trump’s administration over leaked Pentagon plans in a Signal chat has been assigned to Judge James Boasberg, the same judge who ordered a halt to the administration’s deportation efforts.

The government watchdog group American Oversight filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others violated federal records laws by discussing Houthi attack plans in a Signal groupchat. The contest has now been randomly assigned to Boasberg, who serves on the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., condemned “rogue judges” like Boasberg in a statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday. He has introduced legislation that would prohibit district-level judges from issuing nationwide injunctions like the one Boasberg used to block deportations.

“These judges have proven they care more about unlawfully knee-capping President Trump’s agenda than accurately applying the facts to the law in each individual case. Congress can change that,” he said.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., echoed Hawley in another statement to Fox, calling on Boasberg to recuse himself from the case.

“The bias Judge Boesberg has already demonstrated toward President Donald Trump and his administration is unmistakable.It is not a random act that Boesberg has the case and I don’t expect him to recuse himself, but that would be the best arrangement for the integrity of the court,” Issa said.

American Oversight says its lawsuit centers on the Federal Records Act, which “requires federal officials to preserve communications related to official government business.”