As DHS condemns judges by name, Judge Esther Salas, who lost her son in an attack, is fighting back

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published July 29, 2026 at 9:57 AM MDT

U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, in her courtroom in Newark, N.J., March 20, 2025. (Esther Salas/AP)

The Department of Homeland Security’s top lawyer is openly attacking U.S. District Court judges by name on an official taxpayer-funded social media account. The U.S. Marshals Service reports a rise in threats against judges to more than 560 last year. There’s rising concern that this latest rhetorical attack could spill over into violence.

A judge who experienced a deadly attack first-hand is ringing the alarm.

New Jersey District Judge Esther Salas joins host Indira Lakshmanan on the renewed concerns over violence directed against the judiciary.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.