With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Judge calls the Trump administration response to his order 'woefully insufficient'
The U.S. Supreme Court is shown March 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. A federal judge is asking the government for proof that it complied to his order in its deportation of more than 200 alleged Tren de Aragua gang members to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1789.
(
Win McNamee
/
Getty Images
)
A federal judge on Thursday said the government provided a "woefully insufficient" response to his prior orders in a case over President Trump's use of wartime powers.
Judge James Boasberg had earlier asked the Trump administration to provide more details about weekend flights that deported hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members and other people to El Salvador — despite his order to turn the planes around. He sought more proof the government was complying with his temporary restraining order.
He asked the government to provide details about the flights, or explain why such details fall under "the state-secrets doctrine." This privilege would allow the government to refuse to provide evidence that a court requests because doing so could harm U.S. national security or foreign relations.
Boasberg initially gave a deadline on Wednesday, and then extended it mid-day on Thursday.
Sponsored message
-
Epstein looms large for many conspiracy theorists, including QAnon believers. -
The judge has previously sided with UC scholars several times since June in halting Trump’s termination of science and health research funding. -
The overhaul shifts funds to transitional housing requiring work and addiction treatment. The administration says it promotes "self-sufficiency," but critics warn many will risk losing housing again.
"In an ex parte pleading delivered shortly after today's deadline, the Government again evaded its obligations," Boasberg wrote on Thursday. An ex parte pleading means the filings went directly to the judge, without notifying the other parties in the case.
He said the government only provided a six-paragraph declaration from a regional official in Immigration and Customs Enforcement that repeated information shared previously, and added that: "Cabinet Secretaries are currently actively considering whether to invoke the state secrets privilege over the other facts requested by the Court's order. Doing so is a serious matter that requires careful consideration of national security and foreign relations, and it cannot properly be undertaken in just 24 hours."
Boasberg called this response "woefully insufficient."
"To begin, the Government cannot proffer a regional ICE official to attest to Cabinet-level discussions of the state-secrets privilege; indeed, his declaration on that point, not surprisingly, is based solely on his unsubstantiated 'understand[ing],'" he wrote.
The judge reset the deadlines in the case, asking the government to explain by 10 a.m. on Friday about any discussions regarding invoking the privilege of state secrets, and to decide whether to invoke such privilege by March 25.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice in a statement said "The Department of Justice continues to believe that the court's superfluous questioning of sensitive national security information is inappropriate judicial overreach."
Sponsored message
Trump had earlier called for Boasberg's impeachment, and called him a "lunatic" in an interview with Fox News.
— NPR's Ryan Lucas contributed to this story.
Copyright 2025 NPR
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
