U.S. District Judge James Boasberg threatened to hold Trump officials in contempt over a deportation order, and the administration filed an emergency appeal to counter the court order.
On Wednesday night, the administration asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to review Boasberg’s ruling hours after the judge found that the administration had shown a “willful disregard” for his emergency order from March 15.
“In his ruling, Boasberg threatened criminal contempt charges and directed the administration to submit additional declarations by April 23 explaining why such proceedings should not move forward,” Fox News reported. “Boasberg said that if officials fail to submit the declarations, the court will consider holding further hearings and potentially refer the matter for prosecution.”
“The Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt,” Boasberg said Wednesday. “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.”
The Trump administration previously said the judge’s actions were a “massive, unauthorized imposition on the Executive’s authority to remove dangerous aliens.”
While a previous appeal upheld Boasberg’s temporary restraining order, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that the administration could resume deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act “so long as individuals subject to removal under the law were given due process protections, and the opportunity to pursue habeas relief – or the ability to have their case heard by a U.S. court prior to their removal,” Fox News noted.
“The Supreme Court ruled that Judge Boasberg has no right to seize control of the President’s authority to conduct foreign policy — he should have never issued his order,” a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement. “His underhanded attempt to maintain power over this case is a judicial power grab that the Department of Justice will fight by all means necessary.”
