US judge finds 'probable cause' to hold Trump administration in contempt over deportation, appeal planned

Judge finds Trump administration in contempt over deportations; appeal planned.

A U.S. judge found "probable cause" to hold President Donald Trump's administration in contempt over a deportation case, escalating tensions with the judiciary.

The White House quickly announced plans to seek an "immediate" appeal of the decision, issued by District Judge James Boasberg, who had ordered the government to halt flights deporting more than 200 Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador.

Boasberg had initially issued a temporary restraining order on March 15 to stop the deportations, which were carried out under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law that bypasses usual legal due process. In his written opinion, Boasberg cited evidence suggesting that the government had shown a "deliberate or reckless disregard" of his order by continuing the deportations.

"Defendants provide no convincing reason to avoid the conclusion that appears obvious... that they deliberately flouted this Court's written Order and, separately, its oral command that explicitly delineated what compliance entailed," the judge wrote. Boasberg's decision noted that the administration's actions were "sufficient for the court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt."

The judge indicated that the government would be given a final chance to "purge such contempt" or face further legal consequences.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has shown increasing defiance toward the judiciary, especially after several setbacks to his right-wing agenda, with deportation cases becoming a central issue. Following the ruling, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung issued a statement saying, "We plan to seek immediate appellate relief." He added, "The President is 100 percent committed to ensuring that terrorists and criminal illegal migrants are no longer a threat to Americans and their communities across the country."

Trump's administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a law last used during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II, to target transnational gangs he had declared foreign terrorist organizations. One such group, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, was among those the administration sought to deport. However, lawyers representing several of the deported Venezuelans argue that their clients were not gang members, had committed no crimes, and were targeted primarily based on their tattoos.

Trump has consistently criticized rulings that limit his policies and has attacked the judges involved, including Boasberg. On Wednesday, he reiterated his frustrations, writing on his Truth Social platform: "US courts are totally out of control. They seem to hate 'TRUMP' so much that anything goes!"

In addition to the deportation case, the administration is facing scrutiny over its handling of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man living in Maryland who was married to a U.S. citizen. He was deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador due to an "administrative error." A judge has ordered that the administration "facilitate" Garcia’s return, an order upheld by the Supreme Court. However, the government has claimed that the court did not have the authority to enforce the return.

Trump has alleged that Abrego Garcia is "an MS-13 Gang Member and Foreign Terrorist from El Salvador," while Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed he was "engaged in human trafficking." Despite these claims, Garcia has never been charged with any crimes.

(With AFP Input)