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'We didn't allow our child to play outside': US judges report rising safety threats under Trump's second term

New Brennan Center report reveals federal judges across party lines feel more endangered than ever, with one jurist receiving over 700 threatening phone calls

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
A growing number of US federal judges say their jobs have become significantly more dangerous under President Donald Trump's second term, citing a surge in threatening phone calls, online doxing, and safety fears for their families, according to a new report from the Brennan Center for Justice. The US Marshals Service recorded a 57 per cent increase in security incidents of significant concern in the 2025 fiscal year, with further rises forecast for 2026.

In returning Donald Trump to the White House, MAGA faithful wanted to see change—and more than 850 lawsuits have since been filed against his administration, testing policies on immigration and other fronts. For the judges presiding over those cases, the scrutiny has turned personal and dangerous.

A federal judge who heard a case related to the administration's immigration crackdown received more than 700 threatening phone calls, leading their child's school to ramp up active shooter training. When the judge's home floor plan was shared online, they built a safe room and drilled their family on how to respond to an intruder.

"For a long time, we didn't allow our child to play outside," the judge said.

The Brennan Center report, based on interviews with 35 sitting and retired judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents as far back as Ronald Reagan, found that every single jurist said the dangers are more serious today than in the past.

"We sign up for this. We are public servants," Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida said during an interview for the report. "But our child..."

The US Marshals Service, responsible for federal judges' security, recorded a 57 per cent increase in security incidents of significant concern in the 2025 fiscal year and forecasts the number is on pace to rise again in the 2026 fiscal year. A separate metric for threats recorded during protective investigations increased by 10 per cent in the 2025 fiscal year.

Nearly all 17 currently serving judges told the Brennan Center they were concerned about the safety of their family members.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Threats to judicial independence: When judges fear for their safety and that of their families, it can chill their willingness to rule impartially on politically charged cases.
  • Wider political climate: The sharp increase in threats reflects broader societal polarization and the targeting of institutions that check executive power.
  • Security costs and institutional strain: The US Marshals Service faces rising demand for protective measures—safe rooms, enhanced school security for judges' children—at a time when budgets are already tight.

Background

Federal judges have long faced some level of threat, but the scale has escalated dramatically since Trump's first term. The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute based at NYU School of Law, has tracked these trends through interviews and US Marshals data. The 2025-2026 fiscal year figures come as Trump's second-term agenda has spawned more than 850 lawsuits, testing everything from immigration enforcement to executive orders. The judges interviewed span appointees from Reagan through Biden, indicating a systemic phenomenon that cuts across party lines.

Key Perspectives

Judges (sitting and retired): They report unprecedented personal danger, describing threats that force them to build safe rooms, restrict their children's outdoor play, and coordinate with schools on active shooter drills. They emphasize they signed up for public service, not for their families to become targets. Trump administration / MAGA supporters: The president-elect promised to act with "historic speed and strength" to fix crises. The high volume of lawsuits suggests many view the judiciary as an obstacle to that agenda, though the administration has not directly commented on the threat levels. Critics/Skeptics: The report relies on self-reporting by judges and US Marshals data that the agency declined to provide raw figures for. Some might argue threat perceptions can be amplified by media coverage, and that historical context shows periods of high tension—though the Brennan Center notes judges across the political spectrum agree this is worse than any prior era.

What to Watch

  • US Marshals Service raw threat figures for fiscal year 2026, which the agency forecasts will rise but has not yet released.
  • Whether Congress will increase security funding for federal judges or mandate additional protective measures.
  • A high-profile ruling on a Trump administration policy—triggering a new wave of threats and testing how the system responds.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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