Judge in Alien Enemies Act case chides DOJ lawyer over refusal to answer key questions about deportations
The court fight focuses on the Trump administration's use of a 1798 law to deport people it claims are part of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
WASHINGTON — A federal judge pressed a Justice Department lawyer Monday over why the Trump administration did not comply with his order to temporarily halt deportations under an 18th century law and asked why key information about the flights over the weekend was being withheld.
In a tense hearing, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg summarized the administration's position on his court order Saturday as “we don’t care, we’ll do what we want.” Boasberg had directed any planes in the air carrying deportees to return to the United States.
The Justice Department attorney, Abhishek Kambli, said the administration had complied with the judge's written order, which came hours after Boasberg's oral ruling at an emergency hearing Saturday. Kambli argued the written ruling took precedence over the one issued from the bench, adding, "We believe that we’ve complied with the order.”
Boasberg said an order is an order.
“You’re saying that you felt that you could disregard it because it wasn’t a written order,” Boasberg said, calling the Justice Department's argument "a stretch."
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