US federal judges consider creating own armed security force as threats mount [View all]
Source: The Guardian
Sun 25 May 2025 15.39 EDT
Last modified on Sun 25 May 2025 15.48 EDT
Federal judges are discussing a proposal that would shift the armed security personnel responsible for their safety away from the Department of Justice (DoJ) and under their own control, as fears mount that the Trump administration is failing to protect them from a rising tide of hostility.
The Wall Street Journal revealed on Sunday that the idea of creating their own armed security detail emerged at a meeting of about 50 federal judges two months ago. A security committee at the twice-yearly judicial conference, a policymaking body for federal judges, raised concerns about the increasing number of threats against judges following Trump’s relentless criticism of court rulings against his policies.
Under the current system, federal judges are protected by the US marshals service, which is managed by the justice department. According to Wall Street Journal, those participating at the March conference expressed worries that Trump might instruct the marshals to withdraw security protection from a judge who ruled against him. Amid those anxieties, the idea surfaced that federal judges should form their own armed security force.
That would involve bringing the US marshals service under the direct control of the head of the judiciary, Chief Justice John Roberts. At present, marshals fall under the remit of Pam Bondi, the US attorney general. Bondi was appointed by the president and is a Trump loyalist. She has made clear she will be guided by him – breaking a decades-long norm that kept the White House at arm’s length from the DoJ to ensure law enforcement and prosecutorial independence.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/25/federal-judges-armed-security-doj-trump-attacks
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