Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a bipartisan group of attorneys general from 44 states in urging Congress to increase funding for the security of federal judges. The coalition sent a letter to congressional leaders documenting a rise in threats and hostile incidents directed at judges, their families, and courthouse staff.
Raoul stated, “The safety and independence of our judiciary is vital to democracy. Threats against federal judges have more than doubled in recent years. Judges and their families should not have to live in fear. I join my fellow attorneys in a bipartisan coalition calling on Congress to ensure that they are protected.”
The letter points out that the Court Security program has faced a “hard freeze” on funding for two consecutive years. This lack of increased resources affects key areas such as salaries for court security officers, monitoring systems, and other aspects of courthouse safety infrastructure.
The attorneys general also highlight the need for additional support for the Judiciary’s Vulnerability Management Program (VMP), which enforces the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act. The act was passed in 2022 after Daniel Anderl, son of Judge Esther Salas, was killed during an attempted assassination targeting his mother. The law restricts data brokers from selling judges’ personal information and allows judges and their families to request removal of such information from websites.
According to the coalition’s letter, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., addressed rising threats against the judiciary in his 2024 year-end report. These trends reportedly continued into 2025, with over 100 judges nationwide reporting unsolicited deliveries intended to intimidate them or their relatives—some using Daniel Anderl’s name.
Attorneys general from states including Alabama, California, Florida, New York, Texas, Washington, and others joined Raoul in signing the letter.