Judge Tears Into Trump Goons Over ‘Patently False’ Smear Against Her

Key Points:

• U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose criticized the Trump administration for maintaining a "patently false" DHS press release that smeared her over an immigration ruling releasing Bryan Rafael Gomez, a man wanted on an arrest warrant.
• The Department of Justice admitted it withheld information about a 2023 arrest warrant for Gomez from the judge, with DOJ attorney Kevin Bolan apologizing and conceding the central claim in the attack was untrue.
• Despite the falsehood being publicly refuted, the DHS press release branding DuBose as an "activist judge" who released a "wanted murderer" remained live on the agency’s website, with no corrections issued.
• DuBose condemned ICE's conduct as "misconduct" and a breach of court trust, considering contempt sanctions against DHS or DOJ officials, and highlighted the importance of public access to accurate facts.
• The incident underscores ongoing tensions between federal judges and immigration enforcement agencies, with courts increasingly confronting DOJ and ICE over procedural violations and misinformation.