Yo, so like, there’s this federal judge, right? He’s all about sticking it to the Trump administration when it comes to Venezuelan immigrants. The judge, Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of the District of Columbia, found probable cause to hold the government in criminal contempt for basically giving him the middle finger and disobeying his order.
According to Boasberg, the government went ahead and shipped off the deportees to El Salvador right after he said they couldn’t. And get this, they did it with a big old smile on their faces. Like, seriously? Who does that?
But Boasberg isn’t playing around. He’s giving the Trump administration a chance to make things right. If they don’t, he’s gonna start pointing fingers and maybe even bring in a prosecutor to lay down the law.
The media is all over this story, with CNN, Washington Post, Law360, and New York Times giving it some serious coverage. Everyone is watching to see what happens next.
Another judge, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland, also got in on the action. She told the administration they better explain why they messed up and sent an immigrant to El Salvador when they weren’t supposed to. Even the Supreme Court had to step in and set things straight on April 10.
The government is really pushing the limits here. They’ve been freezing funds, denying access to the press, and now this? It’s like they’re daring someone to call them out.
Elora Mukherjee, a professor at Columbia Law School, thinks the government is playing with fire. She says they’re pushing their luck and risking our democracy in the process.
But the government isn’t backing down. They’re arguing that they only need to remove any obstacles in the way of bringing back the immigrant sent to El Salvador. Yeah, that argument isn’t fooling anyone.
Michael Dorf, a professor at Cornell Law School, called out the government’s weak argument. He basically said it’s a joke. And he’s not wrong.
Defiance comes in many forms. It could be a lawyer playing dumb or making a ridiculous legal argument. Whatever it is, it’s not a good look for the administration.
Even though the Supreme Court said the case was filed in the wrong place, Boasberg isn’t letting the government off the hook. He says they still have to follow his orders until they’re reversed.
The government has a chance to make things right by giving the deportees a shot at challenging their removal. If they don’t, Boasberg is ready to take things up a notch and bring in the big guns.
The Trump administration isn’t happy about this at all. They’re already planning to appeal Boasberg’s ruling.
The case is far from over, and everyone is waiting to see what happens next. Stay tuned for updates on this crazy legal drama.
