Rogoff’s firing sets up a legal battle over a federal statute that gives a district’s federal judges authority to appoint a U.S. attorney if there is no formal nomination or Senate hearings.

Floyd, a controversial and tough-minded immigration judge, was appointed by Trump last October, but his name was never advanced to the U.S. Senate. Floyd’s appointment was opposed by the state’s senior senator, Patty Murray, and immigration advocates.

Rogoff’s team of lawyers is expected to sue the administration and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Trump administration has fired other court-appointed U.S. attorneys — such as Tessa Gorman in Western Washington, who was replaced by Floyd.

Others include Donald Kinsella, who was appointed by a panel of federal judges in February 2026 to fill a vacancy in the Northern District of New York. He was sworn in the same day but was fired by the White House within hours.