Chief Justice Roberts Says Judge’s Job Is Checking Other Branches

Chief Justice John Roberts again rebuked recent calls by President Donald Trump’s allies to impeach judges who rule against the administration.

“Impeachment is not how you register disagreement with decisions,” Roberts said Wednesday during an appearance in Buffalo, New York. “That’s what we’re there for,” he said.

His remarks echoed ones he’d made in March after the president called for the impeachment of US District Judge James Boasberg, who’d ruled against the administration’s efforts to deportation alleged Venezuelan gang members.

During his appearance, Roberts also emphasized the importance of judicial independence. The judiciary’s “job is to obviously decide cases, but in the course of that check the excesses of Congress or the executive,” Roberts said. “And that does require a degree of independence.”

His comment received applause from the audience, which was there to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the US District Court for the Western District of New York.

The Supreme Court has been swamped with emergency requests from the Trump administration, asking the justices to put on hold lower court rulings that have paused executive policies. On May 15, the justices will hear arguments over the president’s efforts to limit birthright citizenship.

Still, Roberts, 70, who was appointed to the Supreme Court 20 years ago by President George W. Bush, appears to have no plans to retire anytime soon.

“I’m going out feet first,” Roberts said.