A federal appeals court has instructed a district judge to cease his criminal contempt investigation concerning the Trump administration's deportation flights that transported Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last year. In a split decision on Tuesday, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit determined that Chief Judge James Boasberg misused his discretion by persisting with the 'intrusive' contempt proceedings. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, appointed by Trump and the author of the majority opinion, asserted that the Trump administration possessed an 'indisputable and unambiguous' authority to terminate the case. She noted that Judge Boasberg's initial directive from March 2025 lacked the necessary specificity to justify criminal contempt charges against the administration for relocating migrants to Salvadoran custody after the planes had already departed.

Judge Rao emphasized, 'Criminal contempt can only be imposed for the breach of an unambiguous and specific order.' Judge Justin Walker, also appointed by Trump, agreed with the court's opinion and provided an independent statement supporting the decision. Conversely, Circuit Judge J. Michelle Childs, nominated by Joe Biden, dissented from the ruling.

Context of the Legal Dispute

On March 15, 2025, two aircraft carrying Venezuelan migrants were heading to El Salvador when Boasberg ordered the administration to redirect them. The administration contended that the order was issued too late to comply. Boasberg later suggested that the government might have acted in bad faith by hastily proceeding with the deportations, defying his ruling that prohibited removals to El Salvador. He indicated that the administration had ample opportunity to clarify its actions but did not do so satisfactorily.

The Trump administration has vehemently opposed Boasberg's actions, alleging bias and overreach. President Trump has even called for Boasberg's impeachment. Last year, the Justice Department lodged a misconduct complaint against the judge for purportedly making improper public comments regarding Trump. Chief Justice John Roberts previously dismissed calls for Boasberg's impeachment. The recent appeals court ruling effectively terminates Boasberg's contempt investigation for the time being, marking a significant legal win for the Trump administration in the realm of immigration enforcement.