Kristi Noem's Departure Flight Decision Upheld, Judge Says Administration Didn't Violate Order
The US Department of Justice has confirmed that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem made the final decision to allow a group of deportees bound for El Salvador to be handed over to the Central American country despite a judge's order to return them to the US.
The decision comes after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a ruling that the government must turn around planes carrying deportees if necessary, following his verbal directive in March to halt mid-march deportation flights. The administration argued that it did not violate the judge's orders and that no further proceedings are warranted or appropriate.
According to the Justice Department filing, Noem concluded that the class of detainees who had been removed from the US before the Court's order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. The move was deemed lawful and consistent with a reasonable interpretation of the Court's order.
The flights in question were part of a Trump administration initiative to send accused Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, which has faced criticism from courts and advocates who argue that deportees weren't given sufficient due process.
Judge Boasberg had previously ordered a temporary halt to removals under the Alien Enemies Act, including by returning deportation flights that had already taken off. He accused the government of disobeying those orders, citing probable cause for contempt proceedings.
However, an appeals court later tossed out Boasberg's finding of probable cause, and he has signaled his intention to resume his inquiry into whether the Trump administration violated his court order.
The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the plaintiffs, has requested that several Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department officials be called to testify in open court about their role in the decision not to turn the planes around.
The US Department of Justice has confirmed that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem made the final decision to allow a group of deportees bound for El Salvador to be handed over to the Central American country despite a judge's order to return them to the US.
The decision comes after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a ruling that the government must turn around planes carrying deportees if necessary, following his verbal directive in March to halt mid-march deportation flights. The administration argued that it did not violate the judge's orders and that no further proceedings are warranted or appropriate.
According to the Justice Department filing, Noem concluded that the class of detainees who had been removed from the US before the Court's order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. The move was deemed lawful and consistent with a reasonable interpretation of the Court's order.
The flights in question were part of a Trump administration initiative to send accused Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, which has faced criticism from courts and advocates who argue that deportees weren't given sufficient due process.
Judge Boasberg had previously ordered a temporary halt to removals under the Alien Enemies Act, including by returning deportation flights that had already taken off. He accused the government of disobeying those orders, citing probable cause for contempt proceedings.
However, an appeals court later tossed out Boasberg's finding of probable cause, and he has signaled his intention to resume his inquiry into whether the Trump administration violated his court order.
The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the plaintiffs, has requested that several Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department officials be called to testify in open court about their role in the decision not to turn the planes around.
! I'm so frustrated with our government's handling of these deportation issues 
. First, they ignore a judge's order and then try to justify it like everything is fine? Come on! 
The fact that Kristi Noem made the decision without following the rules is just mind-boggling 
It's a total mess! 
. And what's up with this "reasonable interpretation" of the court order? Sounds like a bunch of hooey to me 
.
The ACLU is asking for some of these officials to testify which is kinda cool I guess. Maybe someone will spill the tea about what really went down. Anyway, this whole thing just seems so confusing and frustrating 
.
yeah im know some ppl got mad about it but from what im gatherin she followed da order & didnt wanna mess w/ da courts so why blame her right? 
gotta wonder tho if she really thought thru the consequences or was just tryna avoid gettin in trouble w/ the judiciary 
. What's really going on here? Is it just a case of poor communication or is there something more sinister at play? 
.
. We need to know more about what's really going on here and why the administration is so quick to sweep this under the rug 
.
. I'm not making any accusations, but something just doesn't feel right 
.
I mean, I get it, the administration is trying to do what it thinks is right, but come on! There are rules in place for a reason, and you can't just disregard them. 
That's some messed up stuff right there.
. The fact that Secretary Noem made her own decision without consulting anyone else is not okay in my book 
. And what about these deportees? They're being sent back to El Salvador without proper due process, which is just not right 
.
. And as for the Department of Justice, I'm surprised they didn't take a stronger stance against Noem's decision 
.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around why they thought this was a good idea in the first place. And what's with all these flights to El Salvador? Is this like some kind of refugee situation or something? 
. Like, how can you just change the definition of what constitutes a "detainee" to fit your needs? 
.
meanwhile, it's super sus that Kristi Noem just ignored the judge's order 
and I gotta wonder what kinda due process were these people even given before being sent to El Salvador? 
. It's like she just made up her own rules and disregarded the law 
. I'm not saying the judge was right or wrong, but it feels like there's a lack of accountability here 
... the ACLU needs to keep pushing for transparency 
. It's about time we start questioning who's really running this country and what their motives are