A federal judge tore into the Trump administration for its handling of Venezuelan deportations, calling their court-mandated responses “woefully insufficient” and accusing officials of deliberately dodging judicial oversight.
At the center of the storm is U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who is scrutinizing whether the administration violated his March 15 order halting deportation flights that had already removed hundreds of Venezuelan migrants from the U.S.
In a sharply worded follow-up issued Thursday, Boasberg demanded that officials explain by next Tuesday why they had not reversed the deportations or demonstrated compliance with the court’s block. The judge didn’t mince words, stating the government had “evaded its responsibilities,” and that their filing—a behind-closed-doors ICE statement—offered nothing new and avoided answering the core legal questions.
The administration claimed it needed more time to decide whether to invoke the “state secrets” privilege, a national security shield typically used to withhold sensitive information. Boasberg was unconvinced. He noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio himself had posted deportation details on social media, undermining any national security argument.
What had been legal sparring is now veering into a constitutional standoff. Boasberg’s latest move, an “order to show cause,” forces the administration to answer directly whether it ignored his ruling—an escalation that raises alarms among constitutional scholars.
The situation took on added heat Tuesday when Donald Trump called for Boasberg’s impeachment, labeling him a “Radical Left Lunatic” and accusing him of subverting the will of voters. Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare pushback against the attack, highlighting the growing tension between the executive and judicial branches.
The backdrop to all this is Trump’s controversial use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, dusted off to fast-track deportations of alleged members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. The judge, however, rejected the administration’s reading of the law, saying the gang’s presence did not equate to an act of war.
Despite Boasberg’s stay on deportations, three planes still took off, ferrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under a deal with President Nayib Bukele’s government. Among those reportedly deported: Jerce Reyes Barrios, a Venezuelan soccer coach with an open asylum case. U.S. officials branded him a gang member because of a crown tattoo—one his lawyer insists is simply a tribute to Real Madrid.
Civil rights groups like the ACLU are now spotlighting several such cases, arguing that individuals were misidentified and expelled without due process. With stakes mounting, the administration has a matter of days to convince the court it hasn’t overstepped—or face possible legal consequences for defying a federal order.
The clock is ticking. And so is the tension between two branches of American government.
