🔥 Justice on Lockdown: Why Democrats Are Trying to Rescue the U.S. Marshals from Trump’s Grip

When your government needs to pass a law to stop the President from using federal law enforcement as a political weapon, you know something is broken.

That’s exactly what’s happening in Congress right now. A group of Democratic lawmakers, including Senators Cory Booker and Chuck Schumer, along with Representatives Jamie Raskin and Adam Schiff, have introduced the Maintaining Authority and Restoring Security to Halt the Abuse of Law (MARSHALS) Act. The goal? Transfer control of the U.S. Marshals Service away from the executive branch and place it under the judiciary.

This isn’t political theater. It’s a desperate attempt to safeguard the integrity and safety of the federal judiciary in an era when Trumpism has turned public institutions into personal weapons.

The Danger of Loyalty-Driven Law Enforcement

Currently, the U.S. Marshals Service reports to the Department of Justice, which ultimately answers to the President. That chain of command may seem like standard government structure until you consider what happens when the President views law enforcement as an extension of his own political will.

Under Trump, the DOJ was repeatedly strong-armed into protecting allies and punishing enemies. Now, with Trump back in the White House and multiple criminal cases pending against him, the threat is no longer theoretical—it’s urgent.

Federal judges have reported death threats. Some have been doxed. One even received pizza deliveries using the name Daniel Anderl, the murdered son of Judge Esther Salas, who was targeted by a violent extremist in 2020.

This isn’t just harassment. It’s intimidation by design.

And it's happening while the Marshals, the very agency responsible for protecting these judges, still reports to the same executive branch that stands to benefit from their silence or fear.

A Separation of Powers Emergency

That’s where the MARSHALS Act comes in. It would shift oversight of the Marshals Service to the judicial branch itself. Under the proposal, the Chief Justice and members of the Judicial Conference would oversee the agency. They, not a politically appointed Attorney General, would choose the agency’s leadership.

Supporters of the bill argue that this move isn’t just about safety. It’s about the rule of law. Judges cannot deliver justice if they’re being watched—or worse, threatened—by agencies answering to the very people appearing before their courts.

Critics claim the bill is too drastic. But what’s truly dangerous, making structural changes to protect a coequal branch of government, or allowing a president under criminal indictment to control the agency guarding his judges?

Let’s not forget: Trump has openly attacked judges, prosecutors, and witnesses. He has used inflammatory rhetoric to incite mobs. This is the man who encouraged “Second Amendment people” to stop Hillary Clinton, and whose followers built gallows outside the Capitol.

Do we really think he wouldn’t politicize a federal agency to his advantage?

When the Courts Aren’t Safe, No One Is

This is about more than just Trump. If we allow any president to use law enforcement as a shield or a sword, we destroy the very balance of powers the Constitution was designed to preserve.

Moving the U.S. Marshals Service under judicial authority won’t solve everything. But it might build a badly needed wall between justice and political coercion.

Because when courts can no longer act independently, when judges fear for their lives or the safety of their families, we are no longer a nation of laws. We’re a nation of power plays and payback.

The MARSHALS Act isn’t just legislation. It’s a last-ditch effort to hold the line between justice and authoritarianism.

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📢 Call to Action

Demand congressional support for the MARSHALS Act.
Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and tell your representative:

“Protect our courts. Protect democracy. Support the MARSHALS Act.”

Bibliography:

• Booker, Cory. “Booker, Schumer, Padilla, Schiff, Raskin, Swalwell, and Johnson Introduce Bicameral Bill to Move U.S. Marshals Service to Judicial Branch.” Senator Cory Booker, May 22, 2025.

• Gerstein, Josh. “Judges Harassed with Anonymous Pizza Deliveries amid Political Tensions.” The Washington Post, May 6, 2025.

• Johnson, Carrie. “Democrats Propose Moving U.S. Marshals under Judicial Branch Amid Growing Threats.” NPR, May 22, 2025.

• “Marshals’ Data Shows Spike in Threats Against Federal Judges.” The New York Times, May 27, 2025.

• “More judicial threats prompt calls to boost security for judges, courts.” The Washington Post, May 29, 2025.

• Helderman, Rosalind S. “Judges Weigh Taking Control of Their Own Security amid Trump-Era Threats.” The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2025.

• Levin, Sam. “U.S. Judges Consider Creating Armed Security Force as Threats Increase.” The Guardian, May 25, 2025.