The Trump Administration May Face Criminal Contempt for Violating Deportation Order
U.S. Federal Judge James Boasberg, 2025. X/ @MoeumNews
April 17, 2025 Hour: 11:22 am
Judge Boasberg accused the Executive Branch of having disregarded the court’s order with ‘utter contempt’.
On Wednesday, Federal Judge James Boasberg began proceedings to hold the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump in contempt for ignoring a court order and sending more than 200 migrants to El Salvador.
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He accused the Executive Branch of having disregarded the court’s order with “utter contempt” after being instructed to reverse the deportation of the migrants to the Central American country.
“The Constitution does not tolerate the willful disobedience of court orders, especially by officials who have sworn to uphold it,” Boasberg wrote, emphasizing that if the Trump administration is allowed to override court rulings, it would become “a solemn mockery of the Constitution itself.”
On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a wartime statute, to expel hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to the Aragua Train, a criminal organization that Venezuelan authorities had dismantled some time ago in their country.
The following day, Boasberg blocked the use of that law just as two planes were en route to Central America with the migrants. Although the judge ordered the flights to return, the planes did not turn back and landed in El Salvador, sparking an unprecedented legal battle. Trump later threatened to prosecute Judge Boasberg.
The deportation of migrants to El Salvador has triggered a wave of lawsuits against the Trump administration and condemnation from international organizations. Last week, human rights defenders accused the U.S. and El Salvador of subjecting the deported migrants to “forced disappearance.”
The Trump administration has defended the expulsions, accusing the migrants of having ties to the Aragua Train and the Salvadoran gang MS-13—two organizations that Washington recently designated as terrorist groups. However, multiple investigations by U.S. media outlets have shown that the majority of those deported to El Salvador have no criminal records.
The U.S. reached an agreement with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to send migrants detained in the U.S. to CECOT, a prison notorious for allegations of human rights abuses. As part of the deal, the U.S. will pay El Salvador US$6 million annually to support its prison system.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
