Appeals court declines to reinstate order finding 'probable cause exists' to hold Trump officials in criminal contempt

Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Nov 14, 2025, 7:19 PM ET


A divided federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration on Friday in a case over the president’s use of the Alien Enemies Act in deportation matters — but it did not fully snuff out a lower court judge’s efforts to punish those who ignored previous orders halting the president’s use of the law.

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday declined to reinstate an order from US District Judge James Boasberg that found “probable cause exists” to hold administration officials in criminal contempt for violating his prior orders to temporarily stop using the law to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members. The Friday appeals court ruling is the latest blow to Boasberg’s efforts to hold accountable the administration officials who didn’t follow his orders earlier this year.

Nearly three months ago, a three-judge panel of the appeals court wiped away Boasberg’s contempt ruling from April. Now, the entire appeals court has decided to keep that ruling intact. But the court’s decision does not fully tie Boasberg’s hands. Because of the way the appeals court ruled this summer – and the court’s decision on Friday to not disturb that ruling – Boasberg is able to move forward with his fact-finding inquiry around the officials involved in the matter, and several members of the court went out of their way to make that point clear Friday.

“The district court remains free to require the government to identify the decision makers who directed the potentially contemptuous actions and to carefully consider next steps,” three appeals court judges wrote in a statement respecting the court’s decision.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/14/politics/appeals-court-declines-probable-cause-order-trump-officials-contempt