A federal judge ordered deportation flights turned around; they landed anyway, and an appeals court has now ended the contempt inquiry
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What happened
On March 15, 2025, deportation flights carried Venezuelan men to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act even though U.S. District Judge James Boasberg (J.G.G. v. Trump, D.D.C.) had ordered the planes turned around; the men were held at CECOT prison until a summer 2025 prisoner swap. Boasberg found probable cause to hold the government in criminal contempt. On April 14, 2026, a divided D.C. Circuit panel (Judges Rao and Walker in the majority, Judge Childs dissenting) granted mandamus and ordered the inquiry terminated, calling it a clear abuse of discretion, reasoning that his instruction not to transfer the men was given in a later written order and that the probe would intrude on executive deliberations. The ACLU plans to seek full-court review. No court has found any official guilty of contempt.
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- The Washington Post
describes the D.C. Circuit's 2-1 ruling ordering Boasberg to end his contempt inquiry
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