Trump Administration Wants Judge Removed After Allegations It Ignored His Court Order

Boasberg, who on Saturday night blocked Trump from deporting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, scheduled a hearing for 5 p.m. EDT over allegations the administration may have ignored his order and proceeded with the deportation of 260 individuals allegedly tied to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.

Shortly before the hearing was set to take place, the Justice Department asked a D.C. appeals court to remove Boasberg from the case, citing “highly unusual and improper procedures” in a letter to the court that also expressed concerns the hearing could “force the government to disclose sensitive national security and operational security concerns.”

The Trump administration said Sunday it had deported more than 260 people Saturday, though it is unclear whether the planes carrying them departed the U.S. and landed in El Salvador before or after Boasberg’s order, which was delivered verbally at first, and followed by a written order less than an hour later.

The judge is expected to probe Monday where, exactly, the flights carrying the migrants were at the time of his order: the order blocking the deportations applied to flights in progress, but if the migrants had already been turned over to foreign governments when the order was issued, Boasberg would have lost jurisdiction, he suggested previously.

Earlier Monday, Boasberg denied the Trump administration’s request to cancel the hearing.