Jim Jordan Sets Start Date For Hearing On Judge Targeted By Trump Admin Over Deportations Standoff

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan anticipated on Monday that hearings aimed at grilling judge James Boasberg, targeted by the Trump administration over his legal challenge to the use of a wartime act to swiftly deport hundreds of Venezuelans, will take place next week.

Speaking to Fox News, Jordan said "it looks like" Boasberg's decisions are "getting totally political." He went on to say that President Donald Trump is "on solid ground" legally and said Boasberg's decision to order the planes be turned back (something ignored by the administration) is "crazy."

"You got this judge making this crazy decision - 'turn the plane around, bring the bad guys back to America,'" Jordan said.

Boasberg, on his end, rejected on Monday lifting a temporary restraining order blocking the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected members of Venezuelan-born gang Tren de Aragua with little to no due process.

Boasberg said that before suspects are deported they are "entitled to individualized hearings to determine whether the Alien Enemies Act applies to them at all." "Because the named Plaintiffs dispute that they are members of Tren de Aragua, they may not be deported until a court has been able to decide the merits of their challenge."

Family members of several deportees have denied their loved ones are part the gang, claiming in some cases that they don't have criminal history in the U.S. or abroad, and in others that they were targeted for tattoos they have even though Tren de Aragua is not believed to have any such identifiers.

In the meantime, an appeals court is also set to hear arguments on the invocation of the act and determine whether to uphold the block.

Donald Trump has been spearheading an offensive against judge Boasberg, calling for his impeachment for opposing the initiative. Moreover, a Republican lawmaker last week introduced articles of impeachment against the judge, saying he "is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office."

"Chief Judge Boasberg, in violation of his oath of office, did knowingly and wilfully use his judicial position to advance political gain while interfering with the President's constitutional prerogatives and enforcement of the rule of law," reads a passage of the resolution.