On Wednesday, a federal judge claimed that he found probably cause to hold the Trump administration in “criminal contempt” for deporting criminal illegal immigrants to El Salvador and defying his order to turn the plane around.
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg claims that he will launch hearings and possibly refer the case for prosecution unless the Trump administration tries to “purge” itself of a contempt finding.
He said, “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.”
🚨 #BREAKING: Activist Judge Boasberg has “found cause” to hold Trump officials in CRIMINAL CONTEMPT for not “turning around the planes” carrying illegal deportees
He says they can clear the contempt by RETURNING illegal gang members to the United States
LMAO! NOT HAPPENING! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/fDUWVZR1ik
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 16, 2025
Breitbart reports:
The move by Boasberg marks an escalation in a battle between the judicial and executives branches of government over a president’s powers to carry out key White House priorities. The Republican president has called for Boasberg’s impeachment while the Justice Department has accused the judge of overstepping his authority.
Boasberg, who was nominated to the federal bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, ordered the administration last month not to deport anyone in its custody under the Alien Enemies Act. Trump invoked the 1798 wartime law over what he claimed was an invasion by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
When Boasberg was told there were already planes in the air headed to El Salvador, which has agreed to house deported migrants in a notorious prison, the judge said the aircraft needed to be returned to the United States. But hours later, El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, announced that the deportees had arrived in his country. In a social media post, he said, “Oopsie…too late” above an article referencing Boasberg’s order.
President Donald Trump and his administration have maintained innocence through the matter, arguing that they did not violate any orders. It was also noted that Boasberg did NOT include the directive to turn the plane around in his written order. That paired with the fact that the plane had already departed the U.S. by the time he gave the order.