DC appellate court hears oral arguments in Trump deportation suit

The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is set to hear oral arguments on Monday regarding the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Venezuelan nationals using a 1798 wartime law. The administration had requested a stay pending appeal after a lower court issued an order on March 15, which they deemed as an unauthorized imposition on their authority to remove dangerous aliens.

The administration had sought to deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang, for a period of 14 days under the 1798 wartime authority. However, last week, Judge James Boasberg issued an order to halt any planned deportations to El Salvador. Despite the order, a plane carrying U.S. migrants, including Venezuelan nationals, arrived in El Salvador shortly after the order was issued.

Boasberg conducted a fact-finding hearing on Monday evening, where he demanded more information from the Trump administration regarding the deportation flights. He ordered details such as the number of individuals on each plane, where they landed, and when they departed from the U.S. The government was given until Tuesday noon to submit the information and was ordered to appear in court again on Friday.

In response, the government submitted a brief to the D.C. Circuit, criticizing the district court for seeking sensitive information and stating that the Executive Branch’s authority should be respected. The government cited national security concerns for not complying with the court’s order, prompting Boasberg to allow the submission of information under seal by Thursday.

However, the government failed to meet the deadline, sending only a brief declaration from an ICE office director in Texas. Boasberg deemed the submission as “woefully insufficient” and criticized the administration for evading its obligations.

The oral arguments on Monday will be presided over by Judges Karen Henderson, Patricia Millett, and Justin Walker. Henderson and Walker were nominated by Republican presidents, while Millett was appointed by President Barack Obama. The outcome of the case remains uncertain as the legal battle continues.

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch and David Spunt contributed to this report. Haley Chi-Sing, a politics writer for Fox News Digital, can be contacted at @haleychising on X.