BREAKING: Judge Boasberg Finds Probable Cause to Hold Trump in Contempt 4/17/25

A federal judge on Wednesday found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for their failure to return two deportation flights to El Salvador last month an important development amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a 48-page order finding that the Trump administration showed willful disregard for his March 15 emergency ruling which temporarily stopped all deportation flights to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act to permit the court a better opportunity to assess the case merits.

Judge Boasberg mandated that all planes headed toward El Salvador should return to U.S. soil without delay but this order was not followed. The evening brought hundreds of migrants to El Salvador who were then kept in a large maximum-security prison facility.

Key Takeaways

• Judge Boasberg’s ruling marks a crucial development in the Trump legal case.
• The contempt of court finding relates to allegations around deportation processes.
• Potential consequences may escalate if non-compliance continues.
• The balancing act between executive authority and judicial oversight is under examination.
• This case could set precedents affecting future executive actions.

Background on the Legal Case Involving Trump

Boasberg announced Wednesday that the Court concluded the Government showed deliberate contempt to its Order which justifies probable cause for a criminal contempt finding.

Boasberg demanded that the government file supplemental declarations by April 23 to explain why the court should terminate all contempt proceedings against them. According to him, the court will send the matter to potential prosecution if they do not follow through.

The court needs to pinpoint the people who engaged in “contumacious conduct” while also identifying who committed the specific act or omission that led to noncompliance as explained in Boasberg’s order.

If the government’s attorney declines to prosecute contempt charges the Justice Department could request that another attorney be appointed to take on the case.

The Court arrives at this decision after careful consideration because Defendants received sufficient opportunities to amend their behavior or explain their actions yet none of their responses met the court’s requirements.

Trump’s Legal Team Responds

The Trump administration quickly issued a response to the new court directive.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung announced their intention to pursue an immediate appeal in Wednesday’s social media post.

The president demonstrates complete dedication to remove terrorists and criminal illegal migrants as dangers to Americans and their communities nationwide.

The recent court order represents the newest clash in the long-standing dispute between Trump officials and Boasberg who provoked the administration’s anger when he temporarily halted deportations of some migrants to El Salvador last month.

Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order for two weeks last month to facilitate court examination of Trump’s employment of the Alien Enemies Act for the immediate deportation of individuals.

Boasberg delivered a bench decision requiring migrant flights to be “immediately” repatriated to U.S. soil. Following the administration’s refusal to follow orders the planes landed in El Salvador a few hours later.

The government deported 261 migrants on that day which included over 100 Venezuelan nationals who faced deportation exclusively because of the court blocked law.

Democratic Appointed Judge Continues

Justice Department officials faced Boasberg’s criticism for their failure to provide information about deportation flights and he questioned why they appeared to disregard his emergency injunction that stopped the removals.

Judge Boasberg reprimanded both the Trump administration and Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign for not providing court-requested information about deported individuals and internal knowledge of the restraining order.

Boasberg asked Ensign during a court hearing earlier this month to identify who in the administration made the decision against complying with his order to return the planes because this information could matter in upcoming contempt proceedings.

Boasberg informed Ensign during an earlier month hearing that proper legal belief would have prevented the questionable operational choices made that day.