DC Appeals Court Halts Boasberg's Contempt Probe Over Deportation Flights

A divided D.C. Circuit blocked Judge James Boasberg from pursuing possible criminal contempt against Kristi Noem and other Trump-era officials over deportations of Venezuelans to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act, ruling he overstepped his authority by probing executive-branch decisions on national security. The decision, with a Biden-appointee dissent, could be appealed to the full circuit or the Supreme Court, and stems from March 2025 DHS deportations amid ongoing disputes over where the suit should be heard and whether the judiciary can second-guess urgent executive actions on immigration and security.