WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. administration officials could face criminal contempt charges for violating a U.S. federal judge's order halting the deportation of Venezuelan migrants under martial law, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said on Tuesday.
In a written ruling, U.S. District Judge Boasberg of Washington found "probable cause" that the officials were guilty of "criminal contempt," saying the administration had shown "willful disregard" for his March 15 order barring the government from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.
Boasberg's ruling is the furthest any judge has gone to punish President Trump's administration in an escalating confrontation between the judiciary and the executive branch, according to Reuters.
The Trump administration is facing more than 150 legal challenges to policies it enacted during its first three months.
Democrats and some legal analysts argue that officials are in some cases delaying complying with court orders that are unfavorable to them, signaling a potential willingness to disobey an independent, equal branch of government, according to Reuters.
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Maryland said she would step up her investigation into whether the administration violated an order to secure the return of a man the administration admitted was wrongly deported to El Salvador, but said she would not find the administration in violation of the order for now.
When Boasberg issued the March 15 order, two planes carrying Venezuelans were en route from the US to El Salvador and did not return to the US.
He said there was probable cause to find the government in criminal contempt of court.
"The court does not reach such a conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given the defendants ample opportunity to correct or explain their actions. None of their responses were satisfactory," Bosberg wrote in his ruling that day.
The Trump administration says it did not violate Boasberg's order.
In court documents, Justice Department lawyers said the migrants had already been deported by the time the judge made the decision because the planes had left U.S. airspace. They also said Bosberg did not have the authority to order the government to return migrants from abroad.
Bosberg said the administration will have a chance to "cleanse itself" of its noncompliance with the decision before considering potential criminal prosecution.
He said the "most obvious" way for the administration to avoid contempt would be to allow migrants who have been deported to challenge it in court.
The judge said he would not require the migrants to be returned to the US, adding that the administration could "suggest others."
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