Federal judge accuses Rubio, Noem of ‘unconstitutional Conspiracy’ against campus speech

A rogue judge ruffled some feathers Thursday by trash-talking Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, in addition to President Donald Trump

U.S. District Judge William Young, 85, trash-talked the three during a hearing in Boston concerning a lawsuit that was filed against the Trump administration over its efforts to deport non-citizen, pro-Hamas college activists, according to Politico.

During a previous hearing in September, Young ruled that the State Department and DHS had violated the First Amendment by apprehending and deporting non-citizen, pro-Hamas college activists like Mahmoud Khalil.

BREAKING: Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee, delivers the most scathing legal rebuke of the Trump era, ruling that Trump and his cabinet illegally targeted pro-Palestinian students for deportation to “strike fear” into First Amendment protesters. https://t.co/i7UCg2A429 pic.twitter.com/S4DcF8zvtr

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 30, 2025

Young quadrupled down on his criticisms Thursday.

“There was no policy here,” he said. “What happened here is an unconstitutional conspiracy to pick off certain people. Two cabinet secretaries conspired … they intentionally, knowing what they were doing, counseled by professionals who cautioned them, nevertheless went ahead to pick off these people with the intention that your clients would be chilled. And did so rather effectively, by the way.”

“The big problem in this case is that the cabinet secretaries and ostensibly the president of the United States are not honoring the First Amendment,” he added.

Young continued by zeroing in on Rubio and Noem.

“I find it breathtaking that I have been compelled on the evidence to find the conduct of such high-level officers of our government — cabinet secretaries — conspired to infringe the First Amendment rights of people with such rights here in the United States,” he said. “These cabinet secretaries have failed in their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution.”

He went on to accuse the Trump administration of targeting “a disfavored group,” i.e., non-citizen campus activists whose ideological views align with those of Hamas, a terrorist group.

He said DHS agents “were taken off anti-terrorist investigations” to pursue these non-citizen activists.

“They were taken off human trafficking investigations all to look up … what dirt they could find on this group,” Young complained. “The very highest levels of [Homeland Security] decided that’s the best use of those people.”

According to Reuters, the judge also targeted Trump himself, accusing him of being an authoritarian.

“We cast around the word ‘authoritarian,’” the judge said. “I don’t, in this context, treat that in a pejorative sense, and I use it carefully, but it’s fairly clear that this president believes, as an authoritarian, that when he speaks, everyone, everyone in Article II is going to toe the line absolutely.”

And finally, the judge vowed to soon issue an order barring the Trump administration from retaliating against the non-citizen, pro-Hamas college activists who’d sued.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly responded to the ruling by saying it’s “bizarre that this judge is broadcasting his intent to engage in left-wing activism against the democratically-elected president of the United States.”

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, meanwhile, said that “there is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers.”

Some in the public also aimed ire at Young:

Holy smokes. Why is anyone appointed during the Reagan era still serving. Good grief, retire and let the younger generations serve.

— SowellFood (@SowellFood) January 16, 2026

A judge still on the bench after being appointed by Reagan, who hasn’t been president in 37 years, thinks someone is an authoritarian? Should look in the mirror!

— Nick Halliwell (@NickHalliwellTN) January 16, 2026

If the judge finds this remarkable, maybe he should read the Constitution again.

The president doesn’t just believe he has power over the Executive branch, it’s exactly what the Constitution says.

— Tom Henderson (@tom__henderson) January 16, 2026

It’s pretty crazy and concerning that the judge would see a problem with the President expecting everyone under his authority to toe the line absolutely (unless he is thinking of unlawful orders).

— Marvin the Martian (@MarvinMartian_0) January 16, 2026

Judge Young argues President Trump is an authoritarian. Perhaps he should move from the bench to a more political role where he can continue to opine. Or, at least, he should likely remove himself from cases involving the President’s executive authority. https://t.co/jHPk7zQvHr

— Eric W. (@EWess92) January 15, 2026

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