A U.S. federal judge, James Boasberg, has warned that he may hold former President Donald Trump’s administration in contempt of court for allegedly ignoring an order to stop deportation flights.
According to the BBC, Judge Boasberg criticized the administration for what he described as a “willful disregard” of a court directive that aimed to halt flights deporting over 200 individuals to El Salvador last month.
The administration had relied on a 227-year-old law, originally designed to safeguard the U.S. during wartime, to justify the mass deportations.
In his ruling, Boasberg stated, “The Court does not arrive at this conclusion lightly or hastily. The defendants were given multiple chances to correct or clarify their actions, but none of their explanations have been adequate.”
The judge’s move to initiate contempt proceedings intensifies the ongoing tensions between the judiciary and the executive branch over the scope of presidential authority.