Judge Boasberg Clashes with Trump Admin Over Migrant Deportation Flights in Heated Hearing

In a courtroom showdown set for Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg will lock horns with the Trump administration and immigration lawyers over one of the most contentious immigration battles of President Donald Trump’s second term. This hearing promises to reignite a fiery legal saga surrounding the deportation of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador, a move that has already drawn sharp criticism and legal challenges across the nation.

Boasberg, who has become a lightning rod for controversy, first made waves earlier this year with a temporary restraining order on March 15. He aimed to halt Trump’s invocation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations, demanding that planes bound for El Salvador return to U.S. soil immediately. When that order was ignored, a cascade of legal challenges erupted, culminating in Supreme Court rulings that deemed the rushed removals a violation of migrants’ constitutional due process rights.

Now, as the case circles back to Boasberg’s courtroom, new evidence is on the table. Plaintiffs are pushing to reopen limited discovery, citing a U.N. report that pins legal responsibility for the transferred migrants solely on the U.S., alongside a whistleblower account from a former Justice Department attorney. These developments could breathe new life into a dispute that’s been simmering since the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily stayed Boasberg’s order two months ago.

The tension between Boasberg and the Trump administration has been palpable. Labeled an 'activist judge' by Trump officials, Boasberg has faced relentless criticism, with the President even floating the idea of impeachment—a suggestion that drew a rare public rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts. Earlier this year, Boasberg upped the ante, finding probable cause to hold the administration in criminal contempt for defying his order, a decision now under appeal.

Adding to the drama, Boasberg previously mandated that noncitizens deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador be given the chance to seek habeas relief and contest their alleged gang affiliations. For individuals like Frengel Reyes Mota and Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, caught in this legal quagmire since March 15, 2025, this hearing could be a pivotal moment.

As Thursday approaches, all eyes are on Boasberg’s courtroom. Will this be the spark that reignites a bitterly divisive fight over immigration policy, or will it offer a path toward resolution? One thing is certain: the stakes couldn’t be higher.