Reuters:
WASHINGTON, April 16 – Trump administration officials could face criminal contempt charges for violating a U.S. federal judge’s order halting deportations of alleged members of a Venezuelan gang who had no chance to challenge their removals, the judge said on Wednesday.
In a written ruling, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington found “probable cause” to hold officials in criminal contempt of court, saying the administration demonstrated “willful disregard” for his March 15 order barring the deportations to El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
Many of the migrants’ lawyers and family members say those deported are not gang members and were never given a chance to contest the U.S. government’s assertion that they were.
Wednesday’s ruling is the closest any court has come to suggesting punishing the administration since President Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, and escalates the confrontation between the judicial and executive branches.
The U.S. Justice Department appealed the ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Boasberg said the administration could still avoid being held in contempt by taking steps to comply with his order – namely, by allowing the migrants to challenge their removals in court. He gave the administration until April 23 to outline what steps it would take, or to identify the officials who decided to disregard his order so they could potentially be prosecuted.
The judge noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had retweeted an X post in which El Salvador President Nayib Bukele shared a link to a news story about Boasberg’s order blocking deportations and said, “Oopsie…Too late.”
“Boasts by Defendants intimated that they had defied the Court’s Order deliberately and gleefully,” the judge wrote.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said on X the administration would seek immediate appellate relief.
A Justice Department spokesperson said: “His (Boasberg’s) underhanded attempt to maintain power over this case is a judicial power grab that the Department of Justice will fight by all means necessary.”
