New Jersey’s federal judges declined Tuesday to appoint Alina Habba, President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney in the state, to continue serving in that role, delivering a resounding rebuke to one of his administration’s most polarizing Justice Department appointees. The state’s U.S. district court judges made the announcement in a brief order that did not offer any explanation for their decision. The order — signed by Renee Marie Bumb, the chief federal judge for the District of New Jersey — appointed Desiree Leigh Grace, a career prosecutor who Habba had named as her first assistant U.S. attorney as her replacement in the role.

The move, for now, means an end to Habba’s contentious tenure as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor, which has seen her, in three months, open investigations into the state’s Democratic governor and attorney general as well as file felony assault charges against a Democratic member of Congress.

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Trump could exercise several maneuvers to try to keep Habba in place or seek to appoint someone else to replace the judges’ pick.

The judges’ decision to reject the president’s appointee is an exceedingly rare move illustrating a growing tension between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary.

A spokesperson for Habba did not immediately return requests for comment Tuesday nor did spokespersons for the Justice Department or the White House. Administration officials have taken to social media in recent days to make clear that Habba still had the president’s support.

Habba “has brought steady leadership and sound judgment as Interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a post to X on Monday. “She has the full confidence of @POTUS and DOJ.”

He dismissed opposition to her nomination as “political noise.”

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Trump appointed Habba — who had previously worked as his personal lawyer and prominent surrogate during the 2024 campaign — to serve as New Jersey’s interim U.S. attorney in March and has since nominated her to hold the position full-time.

But the Senate has not yet acted on her nomination and New Jersey’s senators Cory Booker (D) and Andy Kim (D) have said they won’t support her.

Habba’s 120 day-term as an interim appointee was set to expire Tuesday. In that scenario, district court judges are empowered to appoint a U.S. attorney to serve until the Senate confirms a nominee.

Almost always, judges throw their support behind the person already serving in the role.

The New Jersey’s judges’ decision to do otherwise while unusual, is not without precedent.

Last week, district court judges in the Albany-based Northern District of New York declined to permanently appoint acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III to the role after the expiration of his 120-day interim term.