Federal Judge William Young—nominated by President Reagan—has increasingly become a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. Young’s recent 161-page ruling forcefully accused the administration of trampling First Amendment protections by targeting pro-Palestinian activists on college campuses.
Young’s decision goes well beyond legal arguments. He blamed Trump’s rhetoric of “hollow bragging” and asserted that top officials acted to intimidate dissenting speech. At one point the judge painted ICE agents’ use of masks as a tactic to “terrorize Americans.”
This is not the first time Young has clashed with Trump’s policies. In prior cases, he has denounced deep cuts to NIH grants as examples of racial and ideological discrimination.
However, his criticisms have not come without consequence. The Supreme Court recently rebuked Young for issuing rulings that allegedly ignored the court’s interim instructions—a move that prompted Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh to admonish him publicly. Despite that, Young shows no signs of backing down.