In a surprising display of judicial restraint, an appeals court has stepped in to shut down federal Judge Boasberg and his aggressive contempt probe into the Trump administration’s deportation flights, effectively telling the bench to back off and let the executive branch do its job.
They said back off in a very polite manner, just sayin'.
The ruling marks yet another high-profile rebuke for activist judges who’ve spent the better part of the second Trump term trying to play immigration czar from the courtroom, and it’s a timely reminder that even the most determined holdouts in the judiciary can’t override basic separation of powers forever.
BREAKING: An appeals court orders a judge to end his contempt investigation of the Trump administration over deportation flights. https://t.co/jmEt7s63xp
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 14, 2026
Love to see it.
From The Associated Press:
A federal judge must end his “intrusive” contempt investigation of the Trump administration for failing to comply with an order over flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last year, a divided appeals court panel ruled Tuesday.
Chief Judge James Boasberg abused his discretion in forging ahead with criminal contempt proceedings stemming from the March 2025 deportation flights, according to the majority opinion by a three-judge panel from U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The ruling is the latest twist in a yearlong legal saga that has became a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign. The White House has portrayed Boasberg as a biased judge who overstepped his authority.
Trump’s administration has a “clear and indisputable” right to the termination of the contempt proceedings, Circuit Judge Neomi Rao wrote in the court’s majority opinion.
So much fo legislating from the bench, Boasberg.
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: Judge Boasberg gets spanked! pic.twitter.com/F7i4dn8yAK
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) April 14, 2026
WOMP WOMP WOMP.
All the WOMP WOMP WOMP even.
Wow! Who would’ve guessed that months ago…. 🙋♀️🙄
— SeldenGADawgs (@SeldenGADawgs) April 14, 2026
This activist needs to be REMOVED from the bench!
— Veronica Birkenstock (@vtbirkenstock) April 14, 2026
Boasberg needs to be impeached.
— Mark (@SaltWater651) April 14, 2026
The …hole needs to be removed from the bench
— Brian Boru 🇺🇸 🇻🇦☘️🐘🚀 (@Brian_Boroimhe) April 14, 2026
Agreed. The ***hole has got to go.
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