Trump administration may face court contempt for deportations

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg on Wednesday said he found probable cause to hold the administration in criminal contempt of court. In his Wednesday ruling, Boasberg claimed the administration removed the deportees from the country under the Alien Enemies Act before they had a chance to challenge their removal in court. He gave federal officials one week to file court papers detailing how they would rectify the situation.

Catch me up. What happened in the case? The judge last month verbally ordered Trump’s team to turn around planes carrying hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador. He also called for a two-week pause in the deportations. The administration ignored his orders. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the members of the Tren De Aragua gang were already out of the country when Boasberg gave the order from the bench.

After the court orders, Trump took to social media to call for Boasberg to be impeached. His administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, and it did earlier this month. The country’s top court lifted Boasberg’s orders but found that individuals at risk of being deported through the Alien Enemies Act deserve adequate notification and time to seek judicial review of their case.

What does the judge want to happen next? If the Trump administration refuses to abide by his orders, Boasberg said he could hold hearings and recommend a criminal prosecution. However, Trump’s Justice Department is unlikely to bring criminal charges and Boasberg would likely have to appoint an independent attorney to prosecute the case.

What about the case of the Maryland resident who was deported? Press Secretary Leavitt on Wednesday said El Salvador national Kilmar Abrego Garcia will never live in the United States again despite having protected legal status. During a press conference, Leavitt said his wife, who is a U.S. citizen, accused Abrego-Garcia of domestic violence and filed a protective order against him. A court recently ruled the United States must retrieve him from an El Salvador prison after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency admitted to an error in his deportation. He was caught up in deportations over alleged ties to the MS-13 gang. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele on Monday said he could not return Abrego Garcia to the United States.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno and Josh Schumacher’s report about how the Trump administration is using the Alien Enemies Act to deport gang members.