US judge says Trump officials could face contempt for defying court order on deportations

Officials from the Trump administration could face criminal contempt charges for ignoring the orders of the judges to stop the deportation of alleged members of a Venezuelan gang, the judge said on Wednesday.

In a written ruling, US District Judge James Boasberg said there is “probable cause” to charge the officials, accusing them of showing a “willful disregard” for his March 15 order that blocked the deportations to El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

Lawyers and family members of the deported migrants has pleaded that they are not gang members and were never given a chance to challenge the US government’s claims.

The Justice Department has appealed the decision to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Boasberg said the administration can still avoid contempt by following his order—specifically, by giving the migrants a chance to challenge their deportations in court.

He gave the administration until April 23 to explain its next steps or name the officials responsible for ignoring the order, who could then face prosecution.

The judge pointed out that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had retweeted a post by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who shared a story about the judge’s order blocking deportations and wrote, “Oopsie…Too late.” The judge further said that the administration’s actions suggested they had deliberately ignored the court’s order.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said on X that the administration would seek an immediate appeal.

A Justice Department spokesperson called the judge’s attempt to keep control over the case a “power grab” and said they would fight it by all means necessary.

The Trump administration faces over 150 legal challenges. Democrats and some legal experts argue that officials are sometimes delaying compliance with court orders, showing a possible willingness to disregard the judiciary.