A U.S. federal judge found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for violating a court order that temporarily blocked the deportation of Venezuelan migrants. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said the administration showed “willful disregard” for his March 15 order barring deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.
At the time of the ruling, two planes carrying Venezuelan migrants were en route to El Salvador and never returned, prompting the judge’s response. Boasberg criticized the administration’s failure to explain or correct its actions, calling their responses “unsatisfactory.”
Boasberg wrote in his ruling on Wednesday:
As this Opinion will detail, the Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt.
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 gave the administration a chance to avoid contempt by regaining custody of the deported individuals, though he said they don’t need to be returned to the U.S. Boasberg also warned that if the Department of Justice declines to prosecute, the court may appoint its own attorney to pursue the case. The Trump administration has not yet responded.
