A U.S. appeals court dealt a significant win to President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday by blocking contempt proceedings ordered by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg.
The 2-1 ruling came from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and halts efforts to hold the administration in contempt over its handling of Venezuelan migrant deportations.
Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, both Trump appointees on a court that otherwise has a Democratic majority, sided with the administration. Judge Nina Pillard, appointed by President Obama, dissented.
The dispute centers on the Trump administration’s use of a little-known 1798 law—the Alien Enemies Act—to summarily deport hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador known as CECOT.
This controversial tactic sparked legal challenges and court orders attempting to block or reverse the deportations, per Fox News.
Boasberg had initially found probable cause to pursue criminal contempt charges after the administration ignored his temporary restraining order issued in March, which barred the deportations. He further ordered the immediate return of migrants to U.S. soil, a directive that was not followed.
The appeals court ruling, however, focused strictly on whether Boasberg could proceed with contempt proceedings. Katsas wrote that the district court “was placed in an enormously difficult position” having to make urgent rulings on “novel and complex issues within a matter of hours.” The opinion acknowledged ambiguity in the original court order and declined to rule on the legality of the Trump administration’s actions under the Alien Enemies Act.
“Regardless, the government’s initial implementation of the proclamation clearly and indisputably was not criminal,” Katsas wrote.
The ruling does not resolve the larger legal battle, which involves multiple courts and federal agencies. The case is expected to be appealed to the full D.C. Circuit court for en banc review or potentially taken up by the Supreme Court.
Boasberg has been a prominent critic of the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics. His court has ordered status updates on the whereabouts and custody status of the 252 migrants deported to El Salvador as part of a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Venezuela.
The migrants’ asylum claims or legal protections remain unclear, adding complexity to the case.
The Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants raised eyebrows and legal challenges nationwide. The law, passed during the Quasi-War with France, allows for the detention and deportation of nationals from enemy countries during wartime.
Boasberg’s rulings have drawn ire from Trump supporters and praise from immigration advocates. Last month, there was a failed attempt to remove Boasberg from the case—an effort experts said was unlikely to succeed.
The administration has repeatedly faced court pushback in efforts to carry out aggressive immigration policies, and this ruling represents another front in a prolonged legal battle over executive power and immigration enforcement.
