A federal judge, James Boasberg, rebuked the Trump administration for failing to adequately respond to his orders concerning the deportation of Venezuelan gang members. He had previously requested detailed information about weekend deportation flights which the administration defied by not turning the planes around as mandated. The government's response was minimal and repetitive, leading Boasberg to call it 'woefully insufficient.' He noted that assertions related to the state-secrets privilege, which protects national security and foreign relations, could not properly be made without thorough consideration and should not be based on an ICE regional official's statement alone.
In an ex parte pleading delivered shortly after today's deadline, the Government again evaded its obligations, providing only a six-paragraph declaration that repeated previously shared information.
Cabinet Secretaries are currently actively considering whether to invoke the state secrets privilege over the other facts requested by the Court's order, which is a serious matter that requires careful consideration.
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