Judge may charge Trump’s DOJ officials for contempt

A judge may consider prosecuting officials from Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) for not following a court order regarding the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants. Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance shared this insight over the weekend. Judge James Boasberg had ordered the DOJ to stop planes that were taking these immigrants to a different country's prison. Vance recalled a past case from 2007 to illustrate how Judge Boasberg might handle this situation. In that case, a lawyer named Dickie Scruggs was prosecuted for not complying with a court order during Hurricane Katrina-related litigation. She suggests a similar approach could be taken now. Despite the potential for prosecution, Vance noted that Trump could pardon these officials if charges are brought. However, she mentioned a legal argument implying that Trump might not have the authority to issue such pardons in this particular scenario. There could be court battles over this issue. If the situation progresses, it could lead to more information being revealed about the Trump administration's actions in the deportations. Reports indicate that many deported included women and individuals who were not violent criminals, contrary to previous claims.