DC Appellate Court Denies Trump Adm Request to Lift Boasberg Ban
A three-judge panel yesterday ruled against the DOJ's request to immediately lift Jeb Boasberg's temporary restraining order related to deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.
This is one of the weeks where I have about five different columns in the works and cannot finish any because of the breaking news on the Trump lawfare front and nonstop interviews to explain what’s happening. Hoping to finish (at least) one for the weekend!
To tide you over, I wanted to share the DC appellate court decision denying the administration’s emergency motion to halt Judge Jeb Boasberg’s March 15 temporary restraining orders banning the removal of illegal Venezuelans subject to the president’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA). Plenty to chew on here—Judge Justin Walker’s dissent is particularly convincing—but this ain’t over by a longshot.
Shortly after the opinion was posted, the American Civil Liberties Union, which had filed the lawsuit representing Venezuelans suspected of ties to Tren de Aragua, asked Boasberg to extend the TROs another 14 days (they are set to expire on March 29) and indicated the group will seek a preliminary injunction on the matter.
Boasberg also seems undeterred in proving his accusations that the DOJ did not comply with his “oral ruling” to turn around planes carrying illegals subject to the AEA. On Monday, the administration invoked state secret privilege to keep from Boasberg the details of two deportation flights that took off during the course of the 5pm hearing on March 15; Boasberg has demanded the information in pursuit of what appears to be a contempt investigation into at least one DOJ attorney assigned to the case.
Boasberg gave the ACLU until March 31 to respond to the Trump administration’s use of state secret privilege.
Also unclear at this point is the DOJ’s response to the appellate court ruling. Traditionally, the next step is to seek en banc review, meaning ask the full appellate court rather than a three-judge panel to consider the motion. But given the heavy Democratic composition of the appellate court, such a move would be futile. So, the Supreme Court could be the next stop.
The next hearing before Boasberg is set for April 8.
The situation with this D.C. Court is not mysterious. When one considers Judge Boasberg's judicial history, his conflict-of-interest connections, familial and political, and his recent rulings and case assignments, one can state, with little fear of being wrong, that he is an enemy of the Republic. This is a clear and present threat. The Congress must act with all the fury they can muster to force Boasberg to stand down immediately as he faces impeachment hearings. When someone is this arrogantly aggressive toward our form of government and our electoral choices, it is time to turn over the rocks to find the core of treason. When Boasberg is treated as the enemy he is... most likely he will squeal and reveal the secrets of Chief Justice Roberts.
Thank you Julie for always going above and beyond to help explain to the public the constantly changing world of politics that has taken over our country.
You dissect each story and provide the most comprehensive explanation possible based on the facts available to you at the time. With your knowledge, background experience and dogged determination, the public has the ability to learn the truth without all the smoke and mirrors.
Thank you!