Judge James Boasberg determined Wednesday that he has "probable cause" to hold Trump administration officials in contempt of court for defying orders to stop a pair of deportation flights, Breitbart reported. Boasberg previously issued a temporary restraining order on the deportations.
President Donald Trump designated MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as terrorist organizations. He began deporting these criminal illegal aliens using the Alien Enemies Act.
Predictably, the left was incensed at the idea that criminals in the country illegally would be removed. The Soros-backed Democracy Forward organization and the American Civil Liberties Union represented five suspected gang members who were illegal aliens to challenge Trump's use of the law.
However, two flights had already taken off with as many as 300 of these types of suspected criminals on board. They were headed to El Salvador when Boasberg issued his temporary restraining order, thus making it impossible to comply with his order.
Although Boasberg tried to stop the deportation, the planes had already landed at their destination. Later, the Supreme Court vacated the order anyway, finding Trump was within his rights to use the Alien Enemies Act as long as those deported received due process.
Nevertheless, Boasberg announced in a memo that the Trump administration showed "willful disregard" for his orders. "As this Opinion will detail, the Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt," Boasberg wrote.
"The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions. None of their responses has been satisfactory," the judge claimed.
Boasberg claimed that just because the Supreme Court later vacated his order doesn't mean the government could disregard it. "Instead, it is a foundational legal precept that every judicial order "must be obeyed” — no matter how “erroneous” it “may be” — until a court reverses it," the judge added.
He added that the move undermined the courts and contradicted the Constitution. "For the foregoing reasons, the Court will find probable cause that Defendants’ actions constitute contempt," Boasberg added.
This inflammatory move from the judge is no surprise, as Boasberg has a history of decisions that Trump sees as judicial activism. According to Fox News, the Obama-appointed judge has a hand in several cases involving the president and his administration.
Last month, Boasberg was assigned to preside over a case between the administration and the National Archives and Records Administration. Trump took to his Truth Social on March 27 to rail against Boasberg's appointment to that case.
"How disgraceful is it that ‘Judge’ James Boasberg has just been given a fourth 'Trump Case,' something which is, statistically, IMPOSSIBLE. There is no way for a Republican, especially a TRUMP REPUBLICAN, to win before him," the president claimed.
"He is Highly Conflicted, not only in his hatred of me — Massive Trump Derangement Syndrome! — but also, because of disqualifying family conflicts," Trump claimed and later asserted it was impossible for him to get a fair trial anyway. "There must be an immediate investigation of this Rigged System, before it is too late!" Trump added.
The left is trying to stop Trump with challenges in the courts and other tactics. Whether Boasberg proceeds with his threat or not, he has escalated the standoff between him and the administration.
