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News & Current Events Apr 14, 2026 at 3:39 PM

Appeals court orders judge to end contempt investigation of Trump administration deportation flights

Posted by igetproteinfartsHELP

Appeals court orders judge to end contempt investigation of Trump administration deportation flights
AP News
Appeals court orders judge to end contempt investigation of Trump administration deportation flights
An appeals court panel has ruled that a federal judge must end his contempt investigation of the Trump administration for failing to comply with an order over flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last year.
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Traditional_Sign4941 4 days ago +1155
Alternate headline: "Appeals court sets precedent that Trump can ignore court orders he doesn't like."
1155
id10t_you 4 days ago +276
*another* precedent that presidents are above the law.
276
WadeEffingWilson 4 days ago +84
Nuremberg Principle III: no immunity for heads of state
84
Icy-Cod1405 4 days ago +105
only this president
105
ellsego 4 days ago +80
They set the precedent that anyone under court order can ignore it and not be held in contempt…. “Now, any litigant can argue, based on their preferred interpretation of a court’s order, that they did not commit contempt before contempt findings are even made”.
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jaxspider 4 days ago +30
jesus christ
30
bfelification 4 days ago +154
No, it's supposed to be a doctor.
154
broha89 4 days ago +10
Of f****** course it was Naomi Rao
10
214ObstructedReverie 4 days ago +5
It's gross that we even know a DC appeals court justice by name like that. She's a f****** hack.
5
seaworks 4 days ago +26
irritating. makes one wonder what courses of justice are left for us common folk when the courts refuse to protect our rights and those of our families and neighbors.
26
jctwok 4 days ago +26
street justice
26
Chaosmusic 4 days ago +4
Precedent? That's been the norm.
4
laplongejr 2 days ago +1
Now it's *codified* precedent I guess
1
jefbenet 4 days ago
Oh no! Hope he doesn’t start abusing that…oh wait
0
UbiSububi8 4 days ago +456
One of the judges said his orders were made orally and not in writing… another said it didn’t apply because the plane was already in the air at the time. Loopholes. A major decision based on loopholes.
456
whynotjoin 4 days ago +77
Yeah, curious how the full circuit will manage it if it gets appealed to an en banc (assuming it even can be)
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UbiSububi8 4 days ago +50
Seems to depend on how many Trump appointees populate the full circuit.
50
AuroraFinem 4 days ago +17
Looks like there’s 9 dem appointees and 7 republican on the DC Ciruit, with 3 from Trump and 4 from bush and Reagan, so there’s a good chance this is overturned on appeal, but that doesn’t mean SCOTUS won’t just say no anyways.
17
church-rosser 4 days ago +12
Hence the 80 page dissent by Childs.
12
Emergency-Airline960 4 days ago +3
This sounds spicy…
3
LunarMoon2001 4 days ago +59
Removals. It’s going to take forcible removals in 2029.
59
UbiSububi8 4 days ago +68
If a dem wants to run on reverse everything Trump does, impeach anyone he appointed, and prosecute him and his family in spite of SCOTUS rulings and preemptive pardons, I’d listen.
68
Jahkmi-Hoff 4 days ago +20
I have yet to hear any Democrat running say any of this.
20
UnrealAce 4 days ago +23
This is one of the biggest campaign promises I want for 2028. Traitors need to be held accountable. I'm hoping we'll hear more of it once we get closer to the presidential but not holding my breath.
23
Jahkmi-Hoff 4 days ago +13
Shit is going down right now and vast majority of Democrats are just telling me I need to send them $27 for the midterms. Like, the time is now, Cory. Get off that book tour and do your job.
13
ihearnosounds 4 days ago
The typical democrats are either too passive or are benefiting from this personally and corrupt. This is why extremism is often only countered by another group of extremists unfortunately. Which breeds more chaos and the social contract goes into death spiral devolving further and further.
0
church-rosser 4 days ago +2
maybe, probably. But, let's not rule out any hope quite yet. Strange times we live in.
2
uzlonewolf 3 days ago +1
Yes, yes, we need to keep doing the exact same thing which got us into this mess in the first place because surely *this time* will be different!
1
Squire_II 4 days ago +5
That's because the only people announced so far are center-right shitlibs like Newsom and it's a given that he's not going to rock the boat because his owners (SV billionaires and the Getty family) don't want him to.
5
Hilldawg4president 4 days ago +4
Because it's not realistic. If our governmental system just let whoever is in charge do anything they want, great, easy to do. But it doesn't, and even if we had a supermajority in congress we also have a 6-3 scotus that will block what they can and slow walk everything else to ensure very little gets undone before a republican rolls back into office on a wave of voter discontent, largely due to the inability to accomplish anything as guaranteed by the republican Supreme Court. Hate to be a downer here, but that's the situation we're in. The Supreme Court hijinx under McConnell likely fucked this country for 50 years.
4
aerost0rm 4 days ago +6
Expand and stack the court. Impeach any justice that uses interpreting so loosely that they give one branch unilateral powers to do anything they want…
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AuroraFinem 4 days ago +3
Exactly, expanding the court bypasses the filibuster too if it’s still there in 2028.
3
Hilldawg4president 4 days ago +4
Realistically that's exactly what's needed
4
ihearnosounds 4 days ago +2
It’s called Ratchet politics I believe
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Hilldawg4president 4 days ago +1
Exactly what Orban did - change the rules slowly over front such that the opposition requires increasingly large majorities to accomplish a fraction of what you can with minority support. It takes overwhelming opposition from the populace at a level this country hasn't seen in the modern era to undo it.
1
LunarMoon2001 4 days ago +9
Even if it were possible the next dem will just go “we need to forgive and move forward to come together and heal as nation” bullshit we always get
9
Piggywonkle 4 days ago +6
Sounds like a lot of work when you can apparently just deport everybody, call them drug dealers, and wage war against them.
6
Acceptable-Bus-2017 4 days ago +2
Trump would have them arrested and imprisoned for treason.
2
zecknaal 4 days ago
You would, and I would find it damned satisfying. Then we would both watch them lose and die inside. Unfortunately the swing voters don't find it to be a convincing argument, and I hope Dems don't fall for that trap next time around. I want to win, and win big.
0
uzlonewolf 3 days ago +2
Ah yes, the "we need to do the exact thing which caused us to lose last time!" strategy, because doing the exact same thing will *surely* be different this time! Those "swing voters" are going to vote straight-R like they always do, stop giving a shit what they think. Catering to a bunch of right-wingers is how you get your own base to stay home and not vote.
2
zecknaal 3 days ago +1
Swing voters don't always vote straight Republican. If they did, it wouldnt have been possible to have a democratic trifecta. I get the frustration. I am still in shock that this country wanted another round with Trump, but we do have to accept that Democrats hold part of the blame for not offering a better candidate or a better message. We have to stand FOR something, we can't just talk about all the things we hate.
1
uzlonewolf 3 days ago +1
Except swing voters *do* always vote Republican, and Democratic trifectas happen when Democrats *actually give their base something to vote for, causing them to actually show up and vote*. Democrats keep losing because they keep pandering to Republicans while ignoring their own base by taking a "well what are you going to do, vote for *them*?! lol" attitude. The candidates and messaging are intentional and were carefully chosen to pander to those "undecided" Republicans at the expense of their own base. When the only choices are "Republican" or "Diet Republican," the voters who don't want any Republican at all are just going to stay home. Again. And not reversing all the actions of an extreme-right fascist just proves that they, too, are also right-wing.
1
zecknaal 3 days ago +1
Show me the data, then.
1
sonic_couth 4 days ago +12
What will this doctrine be called by Alito? It needs a name with some history to it so it sounds serious. Perhaps the Manbaby Doctrine.
12
church-rosser 4 days ago +2
No Contempt Before Itself Doctrine
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Lantzypantzz 4 days ago +7
"because the plane was in the air". Does that mean I can murder people on a plane because the plane is in the air and apparently laws and orders don't matter now?
7
church-rosser 4 days ago +3
If you appoint your own judges, probably so it would seem. This isn't a functional system of justice any longer and America's attempt at Democracy doesn't seem capable of righting itself and correcting as yet.
3
MrDerpGently 3 days ago +2
I mean, you already started, you might as well wrap up that double tap since judges are issuing suggestions now. 
2
Corronchilejano 4 days ago +3
The US doesn't have a justice system.
3
TarbenXsi 4 days ago +5
Most major decisions are based on loopholes - the important ones get closed with new legislation. The REALLY important ones stay open so the lawless class can keep exploiting them.
5
Mawootad 4 days ago +54
So like what happens if that judge just ignores the court order to not investigate for contempt?
54
ttyp00 4 days ago +13
Ultra Contempt II: The Contemptioning
13
WadeEffingWilson 4 days ago +87
Nuremberg Principle III: no immunity for heads of state
87
Pardot42 4 days ago +8
Or complicit judges
8
JerryDipotosBurner 4 days ago +171
> “The legal error at the heart of these criminal contempt proceedings demonstrates why further investigation by the district court is an abuse of discretion,” Rao wrote. “Criminal contempt is available only for the violation of an order that is clear and specific. (Boasberg’s March 2025 order) did not clearly and specifically bar the government from transferring plaintiffs into Salvadoran custody.” I wish these people nothing but the life they deserve. Despicable, gutless, and pathetic.
171
abstract_concept 4 days ago +47
They're the grown up versions of the kids who argued over the board game rules. Their ability to project power is highly dependent on who will listen to them. Unfortunately as a group they don't seem to understand that "going along" to avoid the debate continues to weaken their ability to have the debate later.
47
jquas21 4 days ago +22
Judge Rao is an activist appointed by Trump who is not following the rule of law on behalf of Trump. She should be impeached
22
rand0mtaskk 4 days ago +16
This is going to get overturned when it goes to the full court, right?
16
Alexis_J_M 4 days ago +12
The Republicans have focused on packing the courts with loyalists for years.
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rand0mtaskk 4 days ago +4
Sure, but this appeals court is majority Democrat appointed I’m pretty sure.
4
Pan_Bookish_Ent 4 days ago +1
You are correct. But we can't rely on that. Republicans play dirty and break the rules left and right with no repercussions. And democrats refuse to play dirty, much to our chagrin. Like how they just let all of the trump appointees through without gumming up the works the way that republicans did when they were in the minority. Sorry for the tangent. The "justice" system in this country is broken so badly.
1
DarthBluntSaber 4 days ago +137
Republicans hate america, the constitution and the people. Republicans are traitors to their oaths and America. They deserve a traitors fate.
137
ihateusedusernames 4 days ago +16
Oathbreakers proven as such by their refusal to impeach and remove him.
16
che-che-chester 4 days ago +50
If and when Dems ever get back in the White House, hopefully with a majority in Congress as well, I hope they start shoving in anything they have ever wanted to do.
50
SleepingToDreaming 4 days ago +15
Eric Swalwell already tossed out his campaign and is resigning from Congress amidst a sexual assault scandal.  That accusation was only announced about one week ago and he tapped out.  Republicans would have dragged it out for MONTHS and REFUSED to do shit so, that notion of Democrats suddenly swooping in and fixing things is a silly notion 
15
RogueTampon 4 days ago +10
Democrats don’t have a demagogue who can tell the cult “keep voting how I tell you to vote, ignore who I am telling you to vote for.”
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Kahzgul 4 days ago +20
I’d argue the reason we vote for Dems is they aren’t a party of demagogues.
20
RogueTampon 4 days ago +9
Someone fooled the Republican Party into believing Obama was a demagogue. He definitely wasn’t, because Democrats understand things like nuance and context. It still didn’t stop the racists from crashing out, and the pedo-garchy from triggering their “Trump card”. If America can get free of the Cult of Trump, the Republican Party will have dashed itself on the rocks for nothing.
9
Randall_Moore 4 days ago +2
Or we'll just get another Merrick Garland.
2
ihearnosounds 4 days ago +1
We won’t be free of them anytime soon, unfortunately it’s going to take an equal and opposite abuse of power to rectify. The majority is not willing to stoop to those lows yet and many will die on that hill. Reformation will be necessary, the system without a doubt has been well proven to be broken and exploitable. There will be no return to the status quo’s of pre Trump USA.
1
uzlonewolf 3 days ago +1
No, they do that themselves. "Vote blue no matter who."
1
Azznorfinal 4 days ago -7
They won't. I mean they will, but it won't be anything that helps the common folk, it's called controlled opposition for a reason. They'll say they need to breach the devide and heal the country and bring us all back together, while maintaining the same bullshit.
-7
Halfloaf 4 days ago +15
F*** off with that defeatist tone. That just means we need to vote in people that do.  We primary anyone that has been a wish-washy pos along those lines.
15
Azznorfinal 3 days ago
F*** off with the idea that anyone that is gonna get elected will do anything different, like the American people have a choice. It's gonna be a standard run if the mill lifelong politician that is already bought and paid for by the lobbiests, and will do as instructed, probably by Isreal, ignoring reality doesn't make you better, and accepting the truth doesn't make me a defeatist, shits controlled, sure would be f****** nice if it weren't, but go ahead, set up the reminder bot and throw it in my face if I'm wrong in a couple years, if elections are still a thing I'll be more than happy to admit I was wrong if I am, and maybe you can grow up and see reality in those years if I'm right.
0
zzazzzz 4 days ago -2
and then the next republican admin will just whiplash the other direction even more agressively, then the next dem admin does the same and so on until you just collapse. an eye for an eye has never made good politics, it only ever lead to war and collapse.
-2
ElPrieto8 4 days ago +15
[Judge Rao for context.](https://www.naacpldf.org/naacp-publications/ldf-blog/neomi-rao-showed-us-college-believe/)
15
church-rosser 4 days ago +4
Nasty. Nasty woman.
4
church-rosser 4 days ago +9
Two Trump appointments form the majority opinion ruling against Boasberg. The Biden appointee Judge Childs did not concur with the majority and wrote an 80 page dissent. That's a pretty involved and committed dissent, I hope it carries some weight if this gets pushed further, as it should be. Boasberg 's order was clear and the Trump admin (especially Rubio) thumbed their nose at the order. It was literally contemptuous behavior by Trump admin and Boasberg should have pressed the contempt charge as he did.
9
Designer-Salary-7773 4 days ago +3
What a dictatorship looks like …  but only if the entire GOP is supportive 
3
AluminiumCucumbers 4 days ago +4
So cool how Americans just sit there and shake their heads with disapproval as their entire system of government is methodically dismantled around them.
4
Dark_Shade_75 4 days ago +11
The only real alternative at this point is violent uprising. That's gonna take time to get going lol.
11
ihearnosounds 4 days ago +3
The system is broken and the old laws are benign. I fear as many do that you are right. American society has lost and will need to reclaim its country the hard way from the army of brainwashed and corrupted drones we once called neighbors. I hope like many people that it won’t come to this.
3
church-rosser 4 days ago +2
It won't America is too morally bankrupt at this point to self correct.
2
Dark_Shade_75 4 days ago +1
I don't think that's true. If the people are made to suffer enough, they *will* revolt. We've seen the lesson hundreds of times in history. What I *doubt* is that it will happen soon enough to avoid much of the pain. It's going to get much worse before it gets better.
1
Pan_Bookish_Ent 4 days ago +2
I'm pretty tired of seeing this argument. Americans are doing a hell of a lot more than just "shaking their heads". It's not given attention by news agencies because of their capitulation and Trump's "flood the zone" tactics. But these No Kings protests have been enormous, record breaking, and powerful. You just don't see them on front page news. Not all of us are twiddling our thumbs. We protest, we call our representatives (even if they won't listen), and spread the word as best as possible.
2
mysticrhythms 3 days ago +2
Well said.
2
MrDerpGently 3 days ago +1
I assume this is Rao's audition for the next SCOTUS seat? 
1
Routine-Ad-1161 3 days ago +1
Corrupt appeals court*
1
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