Full appeals court to hear arguments over contempt inquiry into CECOT deportations
Source: ABC News
June 22, 2026, 10:02 PM
The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has agreed to hear arguments over a federal judge's attempt to hold the Trump administration in contempt for the deportation of more than a hundred Venezuelans to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison last year.
The court will hear the appeal en banc -- to be considered by the entire bench -- on Sept. 29.
A divided panel of judges on the same court in April halted the criminal contempt inquiry into former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other officials for their role in the deportations after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg concluded that "probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt."
The Trump administration, in March 2025, invoked the Alien Enemies Act -- an 18th century wartime authority used to remove noncitizens with little-to-no due process -- to deport two planeloads of alleged migrant gang members to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador by arguing that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a "hybrid criminal state" that is invading the United States.
Read more: https://abcnews.com/US/full-appeals-court-hear-arguments-contempt-inquiry-cecot/story?id=134112094
REFERENCES
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143650089
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143669439
Article finally updated.
Original article -
The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed to hear arguments over a federal judge's attempt to hold the Trump administration in contempt for the deportation of more than a hundred Venezuelans to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison last year.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.