Judge Ordered to End 'Intrusive' Probe of Trump Deportations

A federal judge must end his "intrusive" contempt investigation of the Trump administration for failing to comply with an order to 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 US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

President 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, per the AP. "[T]he district court is directed to terminate its criminal contempt proceedings in this case," the order said. Rao was nominated by Trump, a Republican. Fellow judge Justin Walker was also nominated by Trump, while J. Michelle Childs was a Biden appointee, notes Raw Story. Boasberg, chief judge of the district court in Washington, DC, was nominated by former President Obama.