A federal judge pressed a Department of Justice lawyer Monday over why the Trump administration did not comply with his order to temporarily halt deportations under an 18th century law and asked why key information was being withheld about the flights from over the weekend.
In a tense hearing, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg summarized the administration’s position on his court order from Saturday as “we don’t care, we’ll do what we want.” Boasberg had directed any planes in the air carrying deportees to return to the U.S.
The Justice Department attorney, Abhishek Kambli, said the administration had complied with the judge’s written order, which came hours after Boasberg’s oral ruling at an emergency hearing Saturday. Kambli argued the written ruling took precedence over the one issued from the bench, adding, “We believe that we’ve complied with the order.”
The judge said an order is an order.
“You’re saying that you felt that you could disregard it because it wasn’t a written order,” Boasberg said, calling the Justice Department’s argument “a stretch.”
He asked Kambli numerous questions about the flights – including how many there were and how many were in the air at the time – and the lawyer refused to provide any details, citing national security concerns.
“I am only authorized to say what we have said” in the court filings, Kambli said. More here