Judge 'looks very likely' to hold Trump officials in contempt: legal expert

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg on Thursday asked some eyebrow-raising questions that made at least one expert believe that he's likely to hold some Trump administration officials in contempt.

As reported by legal journalist Adam Klasfeld, Boasberg on Thursday asked "a series of questions about whom he should find in contempt if he finds probably cause for such an action."

Shortly after this, according to Klasfeld, Boasberg asked, "If I find probable cause for contempt, would the government want an opportunity to purge the contempt?"

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Boasberg has been overseeing a lawsuit filed on behalf of Venezuelan immigrants who were detained and flown to a prison in El Salvador even after he had issued an order for them not to be deported from the country. He has often expressed frustration with administration officials' answers to his questions about the case.

According to New York University Law School professor Ryan Goodman, Boasberg's questioning on Thursday makes it look like he's ready to take the next step.

"Chief Judge Boasberg looks very likely to hold U.S. officials in contempt and is now drilling down on: WHO exactly made the decision not to turn the planes around or otherwise return the detainees? Would government bring back the detainees to undo contempt?" he observed on BlueSky.