Judge accuses Trump of contempt of court for deportations of Venezuelans

Violated an order banning repatriations to El Salvador: “Willful disregard of court’s directives”

A federal judge in Washington has ruled that probable cause exists to hold the Trump administration in contempt of court for violating an order banning the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. The New York Times reports this, citing the lengthy 46-page opinion signed by Judge James E. Boasberg.

The magistrate denounced a “willful disregard” for the court’s directives by federal officials, pointing out that despite the Supreme Court’s reversal of the order — for procedural reasons related to the territorial jurisdiction of the case — the order still had to be complied with up to that point.

The order, issued last month, mandated the immediate suspension of deportation flights based on the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime piece of legislation. According to Boasberg, the administration ignored the order despite having “ample opportunity to justify its actions.” However, he added, “none of the answers provided were satisfactory.”

The affair reignites controversy over the executive branch’s use of emergency instruments to address migration policies. In particular, attention returns to the handling of Venezuelan migrants fleeing the crisis in their country.

The White House has announced immediate recourse. In a post on X, spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, “The president is 100 percent committed to ensuring that terrorists and criminal illegal immigrants no longer pose a threat to Americans and their communities.”

The proceeding may now influence further judicial decisions on the legality of deportations and the application of the Alien Enemies Act in immigration.

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