Trump officials fire back after federal judge calls president 'authoritarian' for deportation effort

By Fox News · Fox News

A Reagan-appointed federal judge assailed the Trump administration's effort Thursday to deport certain pro-Palestinian protesters and academics at major universities, describing the actions as unconstitutional and "targeted" efforts to chill free speech — a characterization that prompted fierce pushback from the administration. U.S. District Judge William G. Young used a remedies hearing in Boston Thursday to take aim at Trump, whom he accused of acting "illegally" and "intentionally" in targeting noncitizen pro-Palestinian academic protesters on college campuses — an effort the judge described as illegal and targeting certain groups. In response to the remarks, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital that it's "bizarre that this judge is broadcasting his intent to engage in left-wing activism against the democratically elected President of the United States." A senior DHS official also blasted the remarks from the Boston-based federal judge. FEDERAL JUDGE LAUNCHES SCATHING BROADSIDE OF TRUMP'S EFFORTS TO DEPORT PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS Young ruled in September that the actions in question violated the First Amendment and had scheduled Thursday's hearing with the intent of crafting a remedy to protect the noncitizens in question from being deported, or having their immigration status changed barring certain circumstances. But what transpired instead was largely a stunning dressing-down of top Trump officials, including the president, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. "I find it breathtaking that I have been compelled on the evidence to find the conduct of such high-level officers of our government — cabinet secretaries — conspired to infringe the First Amendment rights of people with such rights here in the United States," Young said Thursday. "These cabinet secretaries have failed in their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution." The most searing remarks of the day, however, were reserved for Trump. Young said Trump h…