Judge Moves to Hold Trump Admin. in Contempt Over Defiance of Deportation Order

By Staff, Agencies

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has initiated a criminal contempt process against the Trump administration for allegedly violating a court order that halted deportations under a wartime law.

Judge James E. Boasberg ruled Wednesday that there is probable cause to believe the administration defied his temporary restraining order [TRO], which was issued in response to a lawsuit filed by two civil rights groups challenging deportations based on the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

The deportations involved over 260 migrants, including 137 alleged members of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang, who were flown to a high-security prison in El Salvador.

Boasberg noted that despite his order, the government carried out two flights just hours later, early on a Sunday morning, showing what he described as a "willful disregard" of the court's directive.

In his 47-page opinion, Boasberg criticized the administration for continuing the deportations without delay and stated that the government had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.

The judge has given federal officials until April 23 to either purge the contempt by detailing corrective actions or identify the officials responsible for authorizing the deportations after the order was issued.

While the Supreme Court has since vacated Boasberg's TRO—ruling that challenges to such deportations must be filed in the jurisdiction where detainees are held—the judge asserted that the government's noncompliance remains punishable.

He emphasized that a party must still obey court orders unless and until they are overturned through legal channels.

Boasberg had previously expressed strong disapproval during an April 3 contempt hearing, accusing the Trump administration of acting in bad faith.

Despite invoking state secrets to withhold details, evidence suggested the deportation flights took off shortly after the judge’s verbal order, reinforcing suspicions of contempt.

Judge Boasberg’s ruling has drawn backlash from Trump and other officials, who criticized the legal intervention in immigration enforcement.