James Boasberg
James Boasberg is the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, appointed by President Obama in 2011 and elevated to chief judge in March 2023—he also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (2014–2021) and oversaw the Alien Terrorist Removal Court from 2020 to 2025. Known for high-profile rulings, he issued a 2025 injunction blocking the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals and repeatedly has been at the center of major national security and immigration cases.