A divided federal appeals court on ruled Friday that US District Court Judge James Boasberg cannot move ahead with criminal contempt proceedings against Trump administration officials involved in a high-stakes immigration case.
The 2-1 ruling from the US DC Circuit Court of Appeals wipes away a ruling from Boasberg, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, that he had issued in April that said “probable cause exists” to hold administration officials in criminal contempt for violating his orders in mid-March halting the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members.
The appeals court had temporarily put Boasberg’s plans on hold while it weighed the government’s appeal of the ruling, and Friday’s ruling represents a significant setback for the judge, who had vowed to hold accountable officials involved in the matter.
The two judges siding with the Justice Department were both appointed by President Donald Trump in his first term. The dissenting judge was an Obama nominee.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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