A Tennessee congressman has filed articles of impeachment against a federal judge who issued a stay blocking the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that limited lower courts’ authority over such immigration decisions.

Congressional Response to Judicial Stay

Representative Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, filed the impeachment resolution against Judge Allison Burroughs of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Burroughs issued a temporary stay on Friday preventing the Department of Homeland Security from terminating TPS for Somalis. The action came amid a lawsuit filed by African Communities Together, which argues the administration’s decision stems from racial discrimination. Ogles did not mince words about his intentions, stating the judicial activist’s obstruction of the people’s will must be stopped.

The Department of Homeland Security’s General Counsel James Percival condemned the judicial action on social media, describing the pattern in these cases as defiance, obstruction, and delay. The stay represents the latest clash between the judicial branch and the executive branch over immigration enforcement authority. Ogles argued in his resolution that Burroughs attempted to circumvent the Supreme Court’s June ruling in Mullin v. Doe by entertaining what he called spurious allegations of racial and national-origin discrimination.

Supreme Court Precedent and Legal Arguments

The Supreme Court ruled in June to significantly restrict lower courts’ ability to block Temporary Protected Status decisions made by the executive branch. However, the plaintiffs in this case filed an amended complaint designed to address that ruling’s limitations. The lawsuit claims the Trump administration’s decision to end TPS designations was based on discriminatory grounds. Ogles countered this argument by noting the administration has chosen not to renew any temporary protected status designations, suggesting a policy-based rather than discriminatory rationale.

Temporary Protected Status provides humanitarian relief for individuals who fled natural disasters or armed conflicts in their home countries, allowing them to remain legally in the United States until conditions improve. The program has become a flashpoint in debates over immigration policy and executive authority versus judicial oversight.

Pattern of Impeachment Efforts

This impeachment resolution represents one of several filed by Trump allies in Congress during the president’s second term. A previous effort to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg failed last year after senior House Republicans argued impeachment was not the most effective method to address what they described as rogue judges. However, conservative lawmakers renewed their campaign earlier this year to remove judges they characterize as judicial activists from the bench. Burroughs received her appointment to the federal bench in 2014 from President Barack Obama. The Massachusetts district court has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the impeachment threat.