Appeals court orders judge to end contempt investigation of Trump administration deportation flights

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 11:21 AM EDT, April 14, 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal judge must end his "intrusive" contempt investigation of the Trump administration for failing to comply with an order turn around planes carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last year, a divided appeals court panel ruled Tuesday.

Chief Judge James Boasberg abused his discretion in forging ahead with criminal contempt proceedings over the March 2025 deportation flights, according to the majority opinion by a three-judge panel from U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

President Donald Trump's administration has a "clear and indisputable" right to the termination of the contempt proceedings, Circuit Judge Neomi Rao wrote in the court's majority opinion.

Rao was nominated by Trump, a Republican. Boasberg, chief judge of the district court in Washington, D.C., was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama.


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-judge-boasberg-contempt-f5ab5110336be20773e8aa8d5b484879

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Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.42696/gov.uscourts.cadc.42696.01208840434.0.pdf


Just breaking. They need to en banc this.

REFERENCES (some)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143432881
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143436107
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143441493
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143443519
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143474872
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143509584
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143520846
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143565446
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143568146
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143579501
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143581378
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143581624
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143587120

[Buddyzbuddy]

1. En banc! En banc! En banc!

[hlthe2b]

2. ABSO-DAMNED-LUTELY!

[GB_RN]

3. Neomi Rao...

Of course it was she who led this. She’s even more in the bag for Cantaloupe Caligula the Corpulent than Aileen “Loose Cannon” is. Goddamned Federalist Society is who’s responsible for the vast majority of these corrupt, and incompetent…”judges.”

I hate ‘em all.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Deadline Legal Blog-Trump judges give Trump officials a 'Hail Mary pass' to avoid contempt inquiry

A dissenting Biden-appointed judge critiqued the majority for “cutting factfinding at the knees” and more.

Trump judges give Trump officials a ‘Hail Mary pass’ to avoid contempt inquiry www.ms.now/deadline-whi...

— Skeptical Brotha 🏳️‍🌈 (@skepticalbrotha.bsky.social) 2026-04-14T21:58:02.780Z

https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/boasberg-contempt-trump-administration-deportation-flights-cecot

Facing a criminal contempt probe, President Donald Trump’s administration has been seeking legal shelter. Trump-appointed appellate judges have been providing it.

The latest example came Tuesday, when a divided three-judge panel granted what it admitted was the government’s “extraordinary” request for relief, to terminate contempt proceedings stemming from last year’s deportation flights to a Salvadoran terror prison......

Yet, it’s the two Trump-appointed judges who overstepped, according to the dissenting panel judge, Michelle Childs. The Biden appointee observed that Boasberg was “just trying to understand” the facts, which may have included the government violating his orders. Doing so, she wrote, does not “suggest that the court wishes to intrude in the decisionmaking of the Executive Branch.”

Childs explained that fact-finding is needed to make a referral for a contempt prosecution.

“So, at this juncture, the Government’s separation of powers objection to the district court performing its obligations under the law is not an appropriate basis for the mandamus relief the Government seeks,” she wrote, referring to the extraordinary relief that the majority nonetheless granted on Tuesday.

Or, as Childs put it, the majority’s intervention “chooses the Government’s Hail Mary pass.” She questioned the majority’s foregone conclusion that there was no contempt here, writing that the panel was “cutting factfinding at the knees.” She said she refused “to be pulled into the lagoon with them.”

For all its sharp debate over the separation of powers and judicial integrity, spanning more than 100 pages, Tuesday’s panel ruling might not be the last word. The full D.C. circuit can weigh in, as can the Supreme Court. It remains to be seen what happens on any further review.....

On that note, it may be that Boasberg’s factual inquiry is as far as the matter goes, at least in terms of potential prosecution. But Tuesday’s ruling is the latest reminder that judges sympathetic to the administration don’t want it to come close to that point.

Hopefully an en banc ruling will over turn this ruling. Ultimately, what should happen if Judge Boasberg finds contempt actions are appropriate is that Judge Boasberg appoints a special prosecutor or counsel and Bondi, Blanche and the asshole who is now on the Third Circuit are prosecuted for their actions.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. The 3 "B"s

Ultimately, what should happen if Judge Boasberg finds contempt actions are appropriate is that Judge Boasberg appoints a special prosecutor or counsel and Bondi, Blanche and the asshole who is now on the Third Circuit are prosecuted for their actions.

Bondi, Blanche & Bove!