Impeaching John McConnell, Jr., Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Bill Number

H.Res. 1354

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-06-09: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Last Updated

2026-06-23T20:42:43Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose This resolution impeaches Chief Judge John McConnell, Jr., of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, for high crimes and misdemeanors. It seeks his removal from office through the constitutional impeachment process.

Key Provisions

• The resolution presents one article of impeachment focused on alleged abuse of judicial discretion, dereliction of duty, and endangerment of public safety.
• It cites a June 5, 2026, ruling in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island et al. v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services et al., in which the judge vacated a set of USCIS policies. These policies had paused asylum applications and immigration benefit requests, required reviews of prior approvals, and directed consideration of country-specific factors for applicants from high-risk nations entering after January 20, 2021.
• The article references specific security incidents, including a 2025 guilty plea by an Afghan national for planning a terrorist attack and a 2025 attack on National Guard members, claiming the judge ignored these when dismissing national-security reasons as invalid.
• It accuses the judge of placing noncitizen interests above U.S. national security, interfering with executive branch functions, and allowing personal political views to influence his decision.

Significant Changes to Existing Law The resolution does not amend statutes or create new legal rules. It instead activates the existing constitutional mechanism for impeaching and removing federal judges.

Potential Impacts

• If approved by the House and Senate, the action would remove the judge from his position, affecting ongoing and future cases in the District of Rhode Island.
• It could limit judicial review of executive immigration policies by signaling that national-security concerns must take precedence in certain decisions.
• The measure may influence how agencies like USCIS handle benefit processing and could heighten tensions between the judiciary and executive branches on immigration enforcement.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Chief Judge John McConnell, Jr.
• The U.S. House of Representatives (as the body bringing the charges) and the U.S. Senate (as the trial body)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Homeland Security
• Individuals and organizations seeking asylum or immigration benefits
• The general public, particularly regarding national security and public safety concerns

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• The resolution tests the balance between judicial independence and accountability under Article II of the Constitution, which allows impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors.
• It highlights potential conflicts in the separation of powers, as it challenges a court’s authority to review executive actions on immigration.
• The process carries political dimensions tied to debates over border security and terrorism risks, though the document focuses solely on the described conduct of the judge.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]

Recent Actions

• 2026-06-09: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• 2026-06-09: Submitted in House

Bill Versions

• Impeaching John McConnell, Jr., Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, for high crimes and misdemeanors. — issued 2026-06-09 — PDF (4 pages)