Overview

• Judge James Boasberg initiated criminal contempt proceedings after the Trump administration defied a restraining order by deporting Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador.
• The administration transported two planeloads of migrants, including individuals protected by the court order, to a Salvadoran mega-prison, prompting accusations of willful disobedience.
• The Justice Department has appealed to the D.C. Circuit, arguing that the contempt inquiry exacerbates separation-of-powers conflicts between the judiciary and executive branch.
• A separate federal judge is preparing an inquiry into the administration’s compliance with a Supreme Court mandate to return a wrongly deported migrant.
• Legal experts and commentators warn the administration’s actions could trigger a constitutional emergency, testing judicial independence and the balance of powers.