The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday halted a year‑long contempt probe launched by Judge James E. Boasberg into the Trump administration’s deportation flights of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador. The panel, split 2‑1, declared the inquiry an “improper investigation” and ordered it shut down, removing the threat of a contentious hearing that would have featured testimony from Justice Department whistle‑blower Erez Reuveni and senior lawyer Drew Ensign.

Trump invoked the 19th‑century Alien Enemies Act shortly after taking office, seeking to deport up to one million immigrants and targeting Venezuelan men alleged gang members. Boasberg’s original March 15, 2025 Zoom order barred any further flights, but the administration argued the written directive did not cover migrants already airborne, a nuance the appeals judges said rendered the contempt claim moot.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche hailed the decision as protection for Justice Department attorneys, while the ACLU warned that the ruling leaves dozens of Venezuelans vulnerable to abuse in Salvadoran prisons. The split judgment underscores persistent friction between the executive and federal courts, a dynamic that could shape future litigation over immigration enforcement and the use of historic wartime statutes.