A federal judge appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama who blocked the Trump administration from ending protection for Somalis residing in the United States is now facing a legitimate threat of impeachment by President Donald Trump’s allies in Congress. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) filed an impeachment resolution against Judge Allison Burroughs, who serves on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Burroughs issued a stay that temporarily blocked the administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in the U.S., according to information released by the Department of Homeland Security, as a lawsuit filed by African Communities Together making the case that the move was based on racism.
The resolution from Ogles accuses Burroughs of having “defied the authority of both Federal law and the Supreme Court.” DHS General Counsel James Percival took to social media platform X, posting, “There is no serious debate about what is going on in these cases—defiance, obstruction, and delay.” The order was issued despite a decision from the Supreme Court in June that curbed lower courts’ ability to block decisions concerning the TPS program.
According to a report from Fox News, the latest stay order is being built on an amended complaint by the plaintiffs who are attempting to account for that ruling. In the impeachment resolution, Ogles stated, “In issuing this stay, Judge Burroughs attempted to get around the Supreme Court’s ruling in Mullin v. Doe by entertaining spurious allegations of racial and national-origin discrimination against an Administration that has chosen to not renew a single temporary protected status designation.”
“This judicial activist’s obstruction of the people’s will must be stopped,” Ogles went on to say in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Judge Burroughs must be impeached.” For additional context, the TPS program is designed to provide safe harbor in the U.S. for individuals who fled their countries of origin due to natural disasters or war.
The Tennessee Republican’s impeachment resolution is one of several that have been filed by allies of the president in Congress during Trump’s second term. In 2025, House Republicans attempted to impeach U.S. federal judge James Boasberg, but the effort failed. Several members of the GOP claimed that impeachment is not the most effective way to rein in “rogue” activist judges.
However, earlier this year, Fox reported that conservatives in Congress would once again renew their efforts to remove activist judges from serving on the bench. Conservatives have stated that activist judges are biased toward a specific agenda rather than upholding the Constitutional rights of all citizens and ensuring the law is fairly applied to everyone, regardless of their politics.
"*" indicates required fields
By preserving the TPS program for Somalis, the courts are essentially enabling illegal aliens to remain in the United States, which could present a threat to election integrity, conservatives say. The Department of Homeland Security has discovered thousands upon thousands of illegal immigrants registered to vote across the country, with many participating in federal elections.
Watch GOP Senators comment on holding rogue judges accountable: