Judge: Trump Admin Faces Criminal Contempt Prosecution over Deportations

16 Apr at 1:45 pm

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Judge: Trump Admin Faces Criminal Contempt Prosecution over Deportations/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A federal judge says there is probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for ignoring a court order halting deportation flights to El Salvador. Planes carrying migrants were not turned around, despite explicit instructions. The ruling escalates tensions between the judiciary and the Trump White House.

FILE – U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, stands for a portrait at E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, March 16, 2023. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via AP, File)

Trump Deportation Order Violation – Quick Looks

Judge James Boasberg says Trump officials defied a deportation order.
Administration accused of failing to reverse planes en route to El Salvador.
Boasberg threatens contempt hearings and possible criminal referral.
Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, citing gang-related security threats.
El Salvador’s president mocked U.S. court order after migrants landed.
DOJ and Trump allies say judge overstepped his authority.
Trump calls for Boasberg’s impeachment over the ruling.
Planes were already in flight when verbal turnaround order was issued.
Dispute centers on whether the order was enforceable and timely.
The conflict highlights deeper constitutional tensions between branches of government.

Judge Orders Testimony in Abrego Garcia Deportation Case — FILE – Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA’s Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)

Judge Finds Probable Cause to Hold Trump Administration in Contempt for Deportation Defiance

Washington (AP) – In a dramatic escalation of legal conflict between the federal judiciary and the Trump administration, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg announced Wednesday that he has found probable cause to hold the administration in criminal contempt of court. The decision stems from the administration’s refusal to comply with a court order halting the deportation of migrants under a controversial wartime law.

At the center of the dispute is a fleet of planes carrying deportees to El Salvador, which Judge Boasberg had explicitly ordered to be turned around. Despite that directive, the planes landed and the deportees were transferred into custody, defying the judge’s mandate.

“The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily,” Boasberg wrote in a sharply worded opinion. “Indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions. None of their responses has been satisfactory.”

Deportation Flights Defied Court’s Orders

The controversy began last month when Judge Boasberg issued an order blocking the Trump administration from deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which President Trump invoked to justify removals of individuals he claimed were associated with Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

The administration argued the gang posed an imminent threat, framing their presence in the U.S. as a national security emergency akin to wartime conditions. As part of the enforcement effort, flights carrying migrants were sent to El Salvador, where the government agreed to detain them in a high-security prison.

But when Judge Boasberg was informed that the planes were already airborne, he issued a directive that the aircraft must return to the U.S. immediately. However, the administration did not comply.

El Salvador President Mocks U.S. Court

Hours after the judge’s turnaround order, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele posted a statement confirming the arrival of the deportees. He accompanied the announcement with a sarcastic social media caption: “Oopsie… too late,” referencing Boasberg’s legal order.

The statement sparked outrage among judicial officials and reignited criticism of the Trump administration’s combative stance toward court authority.

Trump Administration Pushes Back

Officials with the Trump administration have denied wrongdoing. They contend the judge’s verbal directive to return the planes was not included in the official written order, and by the time it was verbally issued, the planes had already left U.S. airspace.

A spokesperson for the Trump-aligned Justice Department stated that the administration acted within legal boundaries and accused Judge Boasberg of “judicial overreach.”

President Trump himself weighed in, calling Boasberg’s actions “unconstitutional interference” and demanding his impeachment, a rare and dramatic statement against a sitting federal judge.

Broader Constitutional Clash

Judge Boasberg has given the Trump administration a chance to “purge” the contempt charge by explaining or correcting its actions. If they fail to comply, he has signaled he will move forward with criminal contempt proceedings and potentially refer the matter for prosecution.

Legal experts say the case could become a landmark in defining the boundaries of executive authority over immigration and the judiciary’s power to check the White House.

“This is not just about a flight to El Salvador,” said immigration attorney Lena Hernandez. “It’s about whether the courts can enforce limits on a president who claims sweeping national security powers.”

The Alien Enemies Act in 2025

Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, originally passed in 1798, has drawn intense scrutiny. The law, designed for wartime use, allows for the detention or deportation of nationals from hostile nations. Trump’s legal team has interpreted it broadly to apply to non-state threats such as criminal organizations.

Critics argue that the use of this law to deport asylum seekers or undocumented migrants—many of whom have no proven ties to violent groups—is both morally and legally dubious.