Trump admin seeks emergency relief of Judge Boasberg’s contempt threat

The Trump administration is facing a new legal challenge as it seeks to appeal a lower court order that threatened officials with contempt over deportation flights on March 15. This latest development is part of a series of immigration disputes that have been playing out in federal courts across the country.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg recently found probable cause that administration officials had violated court directives regarding the deportation flights. In response, he threatened criminal contempt charges and ordered the administration to submit additional declarations by April 23 to explain why they should not be held in contempt.

The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday night. The appeal does not introduce any new details, as the case facts have already been heard by both the district and appellate courts. Last month, the appellate court upheld Boasberg’s temporary restraining order in a 2-1 decision.

Despite this, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Trump administration could resume deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act. This ruling allowed for individuals subject to removal under the law to have due process protections and the opportunity to pursue habeas relief before being deported.

Boasberg criticized the administration for its actions on March 15, stating that they demonstrated a “willful disregard” for his emergency order that temporarily halted deportation flights to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act. He warned that probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt.

Boasberg also gave government officials the chance to propose alternative methods of coming into compliance, which he will review. The lack of information provided by the administration regarding the deported individuals and their knowledge of the restraining order has frustrated Boasberg, who described their compliance as “woefully insufficient.”

The Trump administration has argued that Boasberg’s actions represent an unauthorized imposition on the Executive’s authority to remove dangerous individuals who pose threats to the American people. However, Boasberg has pushed back against this argument, questioning the legality of their actions.

Breanne Deppisch, a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital, covers the Trump administration, focusing on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.