Federal appeals court halts contempt ruling

A divided U.S. appeals court blocked Judge Boasberg from moving forward with criminal contempt proceedings against Trump administration officials in a high stakes immigration dispute.

Federal appeals court halts criminal contempt proceedings against Trump officials in immigration case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday issued a 2-1 decision overturning Judge James Boasberg and blocking his plan to pursue criminal contempt against Trump administration officials for defying orders in the mid March ruling that halted the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan gang members. The panel said Boasberg’s April finding that probable cause existed to hold officials in contempt could not stand in light of the appeal. The court had temporarily paused Boasberg’s plans while it weighed the government’s challenge.

The ruling shows how appellate courts can quickly reset questions of accountability when they intersect with politically charged immigration policy. It also highlights the fragility of contempt actions that hinge on how lower courts interpret obedience to judicial orders. The split decision—driven by the different party backgrounds of the judges—illustrates how the judiciary can reflect broader political fault lines even as it preserves procedural checks.

Highlights

The legal process continues to test how far courts will go to enforce or curb executive actions on immigration.