Federal judge finds ‘probable cause’ to hold Trump administration in contempt – a legal scholar explains what this means

A judge's opinion moves the nation closer to a collision between the executive branch and the courts. Xand, iStock / Getty Images Plus

A battle between the Trump administration and federal courts over the deportation of more than 100 immigrants to a prison in El Salvador intensified on April 16, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg released an opinion saying that he had “probable cause” to hold members of the administration in criminal contempt. That potentially dramatic action was in response to the White House disobeying Boasberg’s March 15 order to halt flights taking those immigrants to El Salvador.

“The Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order,” the 46-page, April 16 opinion says.