Overview

• In a 2-1 decision on August 8, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Judge James Boasberg’s April finding of probable cause for criminal contempt against Trump administration officials.
• The contempt proceedings originated from Boasberg’s March order under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act barring deportations to El Salvador and directing in-flight removals to return.
• U.S. District Judge Maame Frimpong’s early-August injunction halted ICE raids in Los Angeles that relied solely on race, ethnicity, language or location to establish reasonable suspicion.
• The Justice Department argued in its emergency Supreme Court filing that Frimpong’s order unduly disrupts federal immigration enforcement across Southern California and exceeds judicial bounds.
• Both the appeals court ruling and the pending high-court appeal underscore deep divisions over separation of powers, Fourth Amendment safeguards and the modern use of wartime statutes.