President Trump faces criminal contempt over deportations: The federal judge who first placed an injunction on the Trump administration deportation flights now says he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for failing to return two planes deporting migrants last month. Senior correspondent Rich Edson is live and has the very latest on that developing story. Hi, Rich.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg says he has given Trump administration officials ample opportunity to explain their actions and that their responses have been unsatisfactory.
He writes in this order, quote: “The court ultimately determines that the government’s actions on that they demonstrate a willful disregard for its order, sufficient for the court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt.”
This is all over the administration’s failure to return planes that left for El Salvador full of alleged gang members in mid-March. Boasberg says if the Justice Department refuses to answer his next questions, he will refer the matter for prosecution.
Another federal judge is investigating the administration over deportations. This is in the mistaken removal of Kilmar Abrego Garcia last month to El Salvador. President Nayib Bukele is jamming efforts from the U.S. in the country maximum-security prison.
Attorney General Pam Bondi maintains Abrego Garcia is not returning.
“We did the right thing. It was one additional step in paperwork that needed to be taken. Now he is declared as a foreign transnational gang member. So Bill, even if — even if President Bukele said will send him back, all that would happen is one more step in paperwork and he would go right back to El Salvador.”
A district court judge and the Supreme Court ordered the administration to facilitate between E2’s return to the U.S.
Source: raialkhalij + aljazeera