Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) introduced articles of impeachment against federal Judge Allison Burroughs over her rulings on Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in the United States.
A federal judge blocked the Trump Administration from terminating TPS for Somalis for a second time. The termination was originally set to take effect on March 17 but was halted by a prior court order.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a new administrative stay after plaintiffs filed an amended complaint and an emergency motion. Burroughs had previously issued an earlier injunction blocking the termination.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the Trump Administration has the authority to end TPS for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians, determining that the status is, by definition, temporary.
Judge Burroughs' latest order came shortly after the high court's ruling. An estimated 5,000 Somalis in the U.S. are eligible for Temporary Protected Status, while more than 100,000 Somalis live in the country.
Ogles filed the articles of impeachment on Monday, accusing the judge of defying a Supreme Court ruling. "There is no serious debate about what is going on in these cases — defiance, obstruction, and delay," said Homeland Security General Counsel James Percival in response to the judge's order.
The Justice Department characterized Burroughs' repeated interventions as an attempt to obstruct the Administration's immigration enforcement. The dispute centers on whether the executive branch has the authority to end TPS designations for specific countries.
