‘Woefully insufficient’: US judge reams Trump admin for days-late deportation info
A federal judge has rebuked the Trump administration for failing to meet a court deadline to disclose details on deportation flights to El Salvador. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg criticized the government for evading its obligations and submitting insufficient information about the administration’s deportation flights.
The judge’s order came after he granted an emergency restraining order blocking the Trump administration from using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the gang Tren de Aragua. Despite the court order, a plane carrying hundreds of U.S. migrants, including Venezuelan nationals removed under the law in question, arrived in El Salvador.
Boasberg ordered the government to submit more information to the court to determine whether they knowingly defied his order and how many individuals were deported. The government repeatedly cited national security issues as a reason for not complying with the court’s requests.
In response to the government’s failure to submit the required information, Boasberg ordered them to provide a sworn declaration by a person with direct involvement in the Cabinet-level discussions regarding the invocation of the state-secrets privilege. He also set a deadline for the government to submit a brief explaining why they did not violate his order by failing to return the individuals on the earliest planes that arrived from El Salvador.
The Trump administration has faced consequences for violating the court order, with at least one plane of deported migrants touching down in El Salvador after the deadline. Despite warnings from the judge, government lawyers have refused to share information about the deportation flights in court, citing national security protections.
The ongoing legal battle between the Trump administration and the judiciary highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in immigration enforcement. As the court continues to press for information on deportation flights, the Trump administration must adhere to the rule of law and comply with court orders to ensure justice is served for all individuals involved.
