A federal appeals court just slammed the brakes on a contentious investigation into whether the Trump administration thumbed its nose at a judge’s order halting deportation flights.
In a nutshell, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia temporarily stopped a contempt probe on Friday, December 12, 2025, giving the administration a breather in a heated legal showdown over Venezuelan deportations to El Salvador.
Let’s rewind to March 15, 2025, when Judge James E. Boasberg ordered a stop to these flights, even demanding that planes in midair turn back.
Despite this clear directive, about 137 Venezuelan men—allegedly tied to the Tren de Aragua gang—were shipped off to a high-security prison in El Salvador, where reports of abuse and worse have surfaced.
The White House, leaning on the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act, argued this was a necessary move during wartime powers, though the legality of this maneuver is still under scrutiny in a Texas court.
By April 2025, Justice Department lawyers managed to convince a three-judge panel to delay the contempt inquiry, buying some time for the administration.
Fast forward to November 2025, and the full appeals court reversed course, greenlighting Judge Boasberg to dig deeper into whether his order was deliberately ignored.
Judge Boasberg didn’t hold back, ordering testimony from key Justice Department figures like Drew Ensign and whistleblower Erez Reuveni, who claimed a senior official used colorful language to dismiss court mandates.
But on December 12, 2025, the appeals court stepped in with a one-page ruling, hitting pause on the contempt proceedings just as testimony was set to begin.
The Justice Department came out swinging in their filing, calling the contempt probe “an idiosyncratic and misguided inquiry” that risks turning into a public spectacle (Justice Department filing).
They even suggested Judge Boasberg has shown bias and should be removed from the case, arguing his oral instructions to turn planes around weren’t in the final written order.
While the administration insists it didn’t violate any binding directive, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took full responsibility in a sworn statement, claiming she made the call with advice from top officials.
The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the deported men, isn’t buying the administration’s line, filing documents asserting that Judge Boasberg has every right to demand clarity on this mess.
Judge Boasberg himself put it bluntly: “This inquiry is not some academic exercise,” pointing to the grim fate of the 137 men sent to El Salvador despite his ruling (Judge James E. Boasberg).
With sworn statements from Justice Department heavyweights described as “anemic” by the ACLU, and lingering questions about whether court orders were mocked behind closed doors, this legal battle is far from over.
