Appeals court pauses contempt hearings over administration's AEA deportations
Source: ABC News
December 12, 2025, 7:58 PM
A federal appeals court on Friday granted an emergency motion sought by the Justice Department to pause contempt hearings that were scheduled to begin next week over the Trump administration's deportation of Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg last Monday ordered top DOJ attorney Drew Ensign and former DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni to testify next week as part of an inquiry into why the administration continued to transport two planeloads of migrants to the notorious CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador, despite his verbal order to turn the planes around.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in a 2-1 ruling on Friday, temporarily blocked the contempt inquiry, according to a court filing.
In its emergency motion, the DOJ said the hearings would be a "circus" and accused Judge Boasberg of engaging in harassment.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/appeals-court-pauses-contempt-hearings-administrations-aea-deportations/story?id=128361959
Different panel from previous appellate court ruling - two 45 judges and a Biden judge.
Link to
ORDER (administrative stay) (PDF) -
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.278436/gov.uscourts.dcd.278436.210.1.pdf
DOJ said the hearings would be a "circus" and accused Judge Boasberg of engaging in harassment.
REFERENCES
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143579501
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143578173
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143581378