An emerging national star hits a higher level with an admiring feature in The Wall Street Journal.

"Justin Amash Emerges as Leading Critic of Fellow Republican Donald Trump," says its headline Monday. The West Michigan congressman, the article says, uses "a tool Mr. Trump himself often employs—an assertive presence on Twitter—to challenge and even taunt the president."



Rep. Justin Amash meets visitors at his House office late last month. (Facebook photo)

This profile by social media editor Natalie Andrews comes less than four weeks after the Michigan maverick criticized President Trump's immigration restrictions, later blocked by courts and now rescinded. A day after his party's leader acted, Amash said the "executive order overreaches and undermines our constitutional system."

Another Michigan Republican, Rep. Fred Upton of St. Joseph, followed Amash's lead two days later by also speaking out against the presidential policy..

The Grand Rapids politician represents a "district [that] decisively backed Mr. Trump in the election," writes Andrews, who gives examples of his feisty dissents:

“Constant fear-mongering’’ about terrorism is “irresponsible and dangerous.’’

Trump needs to “stop attacking the legitimacy of the judiciary.’ ’

He picked an attorney general with “anti-liberty” positions on surveillance and police seizure of property.

When Trump criticized Rep. John Lewis in three tweets a week before the inauguration, Amash shot back :"Dude, just stop" in a tweet that went viral

And catch how Amash -- with 102,000 Twitter followers -- responds Monday when conservative firebrand Ann Coulter tweets a link to the new article and says he and other Libertarians are "pussies:"

We love liberty and the Constitution, and we're happy to defend @AnnCoulter's right to embarrass herself. https://t.co/U2A3DIZEox — Justin Amash (@justinamash) February 20, 2017

Amash's immigration views are profoundly personal for an obvious reason, The Journal explains.

The son of a Palestinian refugee father and a Syrian immigrant mother, Mr. Amash says his ideals come from a deep love of country instilled by his immigrant parents. . . . “Most immigrants come here to make a better life, and they want to assimilate and be a part of our nation,” said Mr. Amash, who was born in Grand Rapids. “I think we need to remain a country that is welcoming to those immigrants. If my dad’s family didn’t have the generosity of Americans to bring him here, then I wouldn’t be sitting right here in Congress.”

The congressman also "says his opposition is based on principle, as a libertarian concerned about government overreach and adherence to the Constitution," Andrews writes.