U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, a Trump appointee, sharply criticized the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for engaging in an ex parte communication in a high-profile case involving illegal immigrants at the Bluebonnet Detention Center.
Ex parte communications occur when one party contacts a judge without informing other parties involved.
In the case, W.M.M. v. Trump, ACLU Deputy Director Lee Gelernt left a voicemail for Judge Hendrix on April 17, 2025, urging immediate intervention to stop the removal of detainees. Hendrix condemned the ACLU’s actions, emphasizing that such communications could give them a procedural advantage in securing a temporary restraining order. He upheld judicial ethics, asserting that the ACLU’s voicemail violated rules against substantive ex parte communications.
