Judge finds probable cause to hold Trump administration in contempt for violating deportation order

by ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON AP A federal judge on Wednesday commented he has unveiled probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt of court for violating his orders to turn around planes carrying deportees to El Salvador Related Articles Protesters arrested subdued with stun gun at Marjorie Taylor Greene s town hall Harvard stands to lose billion in federal funding Researchers fear science will suffer Top Trump executives will hold talks with Europeans on the Russia-Ukraine war The EPA can t end grants from billion Biden-era fund for climate-friendly projects a judge says Trump says he s joining Bessent and Lutnick for deal negotiations with Japanese at the White House U S District Judge James E Boasberg stated the administration must try to purge itself of a contempt finding or he will launch hearings and potentially refer the matter for prosecution The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily indeed it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions None of their responses has been satisfactory the judge wrote The move by Boasberg marks an escalation in a battle between the judicial and executives branches of authorities over a president s powers to carry out key White House priorities The Republican president has called for Boasberg s impeachment while the Justice Department has accused the judge of overstepping his authority Boasberg who was nominated to the federal bench by Democratic President Barack Obama ordered the administration last month not to deport anyone in its custody under the Alien Enemies Act Trump invoked the wartime law over what he claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua When Boasberg was informed there were already planes in the air headed to El Salvador which has agreed to house deported expatriates in a notorious prison the judge revealed the aircraft needed to be returned to the United States But hours later El Salvador s president Nayib Bukele stated that the deportees had arrived in his country In a social media post he revealed Oopsie too late above an article referencing Boasberg s order The Trump administration has argued it did not violate any orders noted the judge did not include the turnaround directive in his written order and revealed the planes had already left the U S by the time that order came down