Appeals Court Blocks Anti-Trump Judge’s Contempt Order

“Regardless, the government’s initial implementation of the proclamation clearly and indisputably was not criminal,” the judge noted.

The decision comes months after Boasberg initially determined there were grounds to pursue potential contempt proceedings in the case.

It follows his order requiring ongoing status updates on the location and custody of the 252 CECOT-class migrants, who were deported last month from El Salvador to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Venezuela.

It remains unclear how many of those migrants had pending asylum claims in the U.S. or had received “withholding of removal” orders preventing their return to their home country, Fox noted.

Despite the order, hundreds of migrants were deported in March to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, where they remained until late last month, when they were transferred to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange. Continue reading…