'Chutkan sounded skeptical': Judge reportedly tips her hand in big new Trump admin hearing

Source: Raw Story

September 13, 2025 4:45PM ET


A judge with a history of making Donald Trump mad is now involved in a new lawsuit brought against the administration, and the jurist suggested this weekend that she might not have jurisdiction over the case at all.

Politico reported on Friday that Judge Chutkan was "worried publicly" that the Trump administration had, “with a wink and a nod,” deported a "group of African nationals to Ghana, only to have Ghana redirect them to countries where they may face torture and persecution." The next day, Chutkan, who presided over Trump's criminal case for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election, held a hearing in which she reportedly tipped her hand.

As legal analyst Roger Parloff reported, "Judge Chutkan just finished a phone conference hearing in D.A. v. Noem. Plaintiffs allege the govt is sending African aliens to Ghana knowing Ghana will forward them to home countries where US courts have barred govt from sending them directly due to reasonable fear of torture or persecution."

"Judge Chutkan fears she lacks jurisdiction—4 plaintiffs are already in Ghana & one has already been forwarded to Gambia—or that she should transfer the case to Judge Murphy in Boston as part of the DVD class action on 3d country removals," he added Saturday.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/chutkan-sounded-skeptical-judge-hand/