Trump admin scores legal wins after appeals court halts deportation flight contempt proceedings

The Trump administration on Friday scored two major legal wins in regard to its deportation flights for illegal migrants, after a federal appeals court temporarily paused U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s contempt proceedings against the administration, and earlier in the day Boasberg declined to get involved in a different deportation case.

Boasberg ruled Wednesday that “probable cause exists” to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt after they allegedly violated his orders by continuing the deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has now halted those proceedings in a 2-1 split in order to provide “sufficient opportunity” for the court to weigh the administration's appeal, according to The Hill. 

The two judges who approved the halt were Trump appointees, while the lone dissenter was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

“In the absence of an appealable order or any clear and indisputable right to relief that would support mandamus, there is no ground for an administrative stay,” Judge Cornelia Pillard wrote in her dissent. 

The order comes after Boasberg declined to get involved in another deportation case, after attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asked the judge to block any upcoming deportation flights over the weekend.

Boasberg told the ACLU that he was "sympathetic" to their case, but could not get involved because of a Supreme Court ruling earlier this month.

"It is very concerning, but at this point I just don't think I have the ability to grant relief to the plaintiffs," the judge said. "I just don't really see how you're asking me to do anything different from what the Supreme Court said I couldn't do."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.