A U.S. District Judge has sharply criticized the Trump administration’s response to a request for more details regarding the timing of deportation flights carrying hundreds of Venezuelan migrants. In an order issued on Thursday, Judge James Boasberg described the response from government officials as “woefully insufficient,” accusing them of sidestepping their obligations under a judicial order.
The dispute arises from a March 15 ruling by Judge Boasberg, which temporarily blocked the deportation of Venezuelan migrants. The judge’s latest order demands that the Justice Department explain by Tuesday why the failure to return deported migrants to the U.S. does not constitute a violation of the court’s injunction.
Boasberg’s escalating concerns over the administration’s actions have drawn attention from legal experts and critics of the Trump administration, who warn that non-compliance with judicial orders could spark a constitutional crisis. Under the U.S. Constitution, the executive branch must adhere to the decisions of the judiciary, and failure to do so undermines the system of checks and balances.
The judge expressed particular frustration with the administration’s lack of transparency in responding to questions about the deportation flights. According to Boasberg, the government submitted a response through an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official, but the information was largely redundant and failed to address whether a legal doctrine of “state secrets” would be invoked to withhold further details. Boasberg criticized the administration’s response as insufficient, noting that the 24-hour deadline he had set for the response was not respected.
In his ruling, the judge expressed doubts about the applicability of the state secrets doctrine, especially after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly shared details of the deportation flights on social media. While sensitive matters in legal cases often involve materials submitted privately to judges, Boasberg emphasized that some of the information could be disclosed without compromising national security.
This marks the first time Boasberg has directly ordered the administration to explain whether it has violated his prior court order, signaling the intensifying legal conflict over the deportation of Venezuelan migrants and the administration’s handling of the issue.
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