Democrats push to strip Trump of authority over police agency that protects judges -- as threats against judges surge

[Quiet Em]

Amid a surge in threats against federal judges, Senate Democrats will formally introduce legislation Thursday to transfer control of the U.S. Marshals Service to the court system itself.

The legislation, which was obtained by CBS News, specifies that the presidential administration would lose its authority over the Marshals. The law enforcement agency is currently part of the Department of Justice, and among other things, it is tasked with protecting federal judges, courthouses and court workers.

Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat who is leading the effort, said the change would help insulate U.S. Marshals from possible interference and politicization by the Trump administration.

Under the legislation, which is expected to be unveiled Thursday morning, the federal government would launch a U.S. Marshals Board, which would include the chief justice of the Supreme Court and other members of the Judicial Conference, a committee made up of judges.

Agency reports show threat investigations by the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides security to federal judges and prosecutors, nearly tripled from 2019 to 2023.

Federal judges in Washington, D.C., described a wave of threats against them during the prosecutions of approximately 1,600 cases from the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol siege.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-push-to-strip-trump-of-us-marshals-authority-threats-surge/