Federal Judge Expresses Scepticism Over DoJ’s Lawsuit Against Maryland Bench

Last Updated:August 14, 2025, 04:33 IST

The lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice (DoJ) in late June, has sparked widespread legal and political concern.

Judge Cullen is expected to issue a ruling on the case by Labour Day (Image: DoJ)

The Trump administration has intensified its ongoing confrontations with the judiciary, this time targeting 15 federal judges in an unprecedented lawsuit related to immigration enforcement. As reported by CNN, the administration has taken legal action against judges based in Maryland, challenging a standing court order that restricts the government’s ability to carry out rapid deportations.

The lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice (DoJ) in late June, has sparked widespread legal and political concern, marking a rare move by the executive branch to sue members of the federal judiciary.

During a key hearing on Wednesday, US District Judge Thomas Cullen expressed clear scepticism over the administration’s case. “I don’t have a very good poker face," he remarked from the bench, adding that he had reservations about the legitimacy of the lawsuit.

Cullen, a former federal prosecutor who was appointed to the bench by President Trump in 2020 with bipartisan support from Virginia’s Democratic senators, spent nearly two hours criticising the decision to pursue legal action against the judges. He raised constitutional concerns, questioning whether such a legal tactic could be extended even further.

“You have to concede that if they can do this at the district court level, they could do this at the Circuit or potentially the Supreme Court," Cullen said, showing sympathy towards the arguments made by the defence.

The federal judges being sued had issued a temporary block on the Trump administration’s policy of conducting fast-track deportations of immigrants without due process, prompting the retaliatory legal challenge.

Representing the judges was Paul Clement, a prominent conservative attorney and former US Solicitor General, who called for the case to be dismissed. Clement argued that the judges are protected by “judicial immunity", which shields them from civil lawsuits stemming from their official duties.

The case underscores mounting tensions between the Trump administration and various judicial institutions. It comes just days after the Justice Department launched a separate investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, seeking to determine whether her office violated Trump’s rights in the handling of a civil fraud lawsuit filed against him.

Judge Cullen is expected to issue a ruling on the case by Labour Day.

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Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

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