This resolution proposes the impeachment of John McConnell, Jr. , Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, for alleged high crimes and misdemeanors. The core accusation stems from his June 5, 2026, order in a case involving U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Judge McConnell, Jr. is accused of vacating a USCIS policy framework that had paused asylum applications and required substantive review of immigration benefit requests, particularly for individuals from high-risk countries . These policies were reportedly designed to prevent national security and public safety threats, following incidents involving Afghan nationals. The resolution asserts that Judge McConnell, Jr. disregarded national security justifications, dismissing them as pretextual, and placed the interests of noncitizens above the national security of the United States. His ruling allegedly interfered with the executive branch's ability to mitigate risks associated with immigration from countries lacking sufficient vetting protocols. The House of Representatives contends that Judge McConnell, Jr. committed an egregious dereliction of duty by allowing political hostility towards executive branch immigration policies to override the neutral application of law. This action, it is argued, marginalized public safety and national security considerations, contributing to an environment of impunity for terrorism and endangering public safety.
Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better
Timeline
Submitted in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Submitted in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Government Operations and Politics
Impeaching John McConnell, Jr., Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
USA119th CongressHRES-1354| House
| Updated: 6/9/2026
This resolution proposes the impeachment of John McConnell, Jr. , Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, for alleged high crimes and misdemeanors. The core accusation stems from his June 5, 2026, order in a case involving U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Judge McConnell, Jr. is accused of vacating a USCIS policy framework that had paused asylum applications and required substantive review of immigration benefit requests, particularly for individuals from high-risk countries . These policies were reportedly designed to prevent national security and public safety threats, following incidents involving Afghan nationals. The resolution asserts that Judge McConnell, Jr. disregarded national security justifications, dismissing them as pretextual, and placed the interests of noncitizens above the national security of the United States. His ruling allegedly interfered with the executive branch's ability to mitigate risks associated with immigration from countries lacking sufficient vetting protocols. The House of Representatives contends that Judge McConnell, Jr. committed an egregious dereliction of duty by allowing political hostility towards executive branch immigration policies to override the neutral application of law. This action, it is argued, marginalized public safety and national security considerations, contributing to an environment of impunity for terrorism and endangering public safety.