In an unprecedented warning, the federal judiciary has sounded the alarm: judges across the United States are facing a surge in threats and intimidation—yet the funding for their safety is falling dangerously short.

A letter sent to congressional appropriators, written by two senior federal judges appointed by Republican presidents—U.S. Circuit Judge Amy J. St. Eve and U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr.—outlines just how dire the situation has become. The judges highlight a chilling rise in politically fueled hostility, particularly surrounding lawsuits involving former President Donald Trump and his administration.

More than sixty judges currently handling cases connected to Trump’s policies have been placed under what is being called “enhanced online security screening.” This includes scrubbing their private information from public domains—an effort meant to prevent them or their families from being targeted by extremists. The letter urges Congress to reconsider the current budget allocated for judiciary protection, which falls nearly $50 million short of what was requested.

“In extreme cases, the U.S. Marshals Service has been required to take extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of judges,” St. Eve and Conrad wrote, underlining that threats are not hypothetical—they’re happening.

The threats span beyond online harassment or hateful messages. At least 50 individuals have already been criminally charged for threats against federal judges, according to the letter. However, authorities continue to investigate countless other incidents, including a bizarre and sinister campaign of harassment involving pizza deliveries to judges’ homes.

In one of the most disturbing examples, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas revealed this week that anonymous individuals have been sending pizzas to her home—sometimes in the name of her late son, Daniel Anderl. Daniel was tragically shot and killed at their front door in 2020 by a disgruntled lawyer posing as a delivery driver.

“These deliveries are not innocent,” Salas said during an emotional online forum. “They’re a message. ‘I know where you live. I know where your kids live. Do you want to end up like your son?’” Her words underline the psychological warfare being waged on the judiciary—one that no parent, let alone a public servant, should endure.

The threats don’t stop there. Just last month, a bomb threat was made against the sister of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett in Charleston, South Carolina. While no explosives were found, the incident once again spotlights the deepening climate of fear surrounding America’s judges.

Adding fuel to the fire are public figures like Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Trump’s former senior aide Stephen Miller, who have openly criticized and threatened judges, especially those who have ruled against Trump’s immigration or deportation policies. When Trump recently called for the impeachment of a judge who blocked deportations using an 18th-century wartime law, Chief Justice John Roberts broke his typical silence with a rare public rebuttal—underscoring the gravity of the situation.

The judges’ letter was made public last Friday, with an urgent plea: the judiciary cannot continue to ensure the safety of its members with current budget constraints. The message to Congress is clear—if the guardians of justice are not protected, the very foundation of the legal system is at risk.

It is a sobering reminder that while judges are sworn to uphold the law, they are not immune to its consequences. And when politics poisons the courts, justice itself becomes a target.