Appeals Court Reverses Contempt Ruling in Trump Administration Deportation Case

A federal appeals court has ruled that a federal judge overstepped his authority in pursuing contempt proceedings against Trump administration officials. These proceedings stemmed from deportation flights conducted under the Alien Enemies Act. The court's decision, reached by a 2-1 split, overturned the lower court's finding of probable cause for criminal contempt.

The initial contempt proceedings were initiated by Chief Judge James Boasberg, who had ordered the Trump administration to halt deportations. The flights in question removed alleged gang members from the United States. The appeals court's majority consisted of two Trump appointees, while an Obama appointee dissented.

The ruling was hailed as a "MAJOR victory" by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, who stated it would aid the Trump administration's deportation plans. However, Lee Gelernt, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs who challenged the deportations, expressed disappointment with the decision.

President Donald Trump and his allies had previously criticized Judge Boasberg, even suggesting impeachment and filing a misconduct complaint. The administration has faced similar accusations of non-compliance with court orders in other cases.

The judges provided separate opinions to explain their reasoning. Judge Greg Katsas, a Trump appointee, raised concerns about judicial control over executive functions, including foreign policy and criminal prosecutions. Judge Neomi Rao, also a Trump appointee, argued that Boasberg lacked the authority to pursue contempt findings because the Supreme Court had vacated his underlying ruling. She described the contempt order as an intrusion on the president's foreign affairs authority.

Judge Nina Pillard, the Obama appointee, dissented, stating that government officials "appear to have disobeyed" Boasberg’s order. She emphasized the importance of upholding court orders to maintain the integrity of the judicial system.

The underlying dispute involved the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used 18th-century law. Judge Boasberg initially prevented the administration from deporting alleged gang members under this act. Concerns were raised about whether the administration had violated a verbal order from Boasberg regarding the deportation flights. The Supreme Court later overturned Boasberg's original decision, though litigation on the due process rights of detainees continued in other courts. The appeals court's decision on Friday focused solely on the contempt proceedings.

The case had been paused for months, leading to complaints that the court was inappropriately delaying action. This was partly due to the Senate's consideration of a Justice Department official, Emil Bove, for a judicial position. Whistleblowers claimed Bove had suggested the government might need to defy court orders to carry out its deportation plans, a claim the Justice Department denied.