U.S. District Choose James Boasberg gave the Trump administration a one-day extension to show over details about deportation flights that left the nation Saturday, as the federal government suggests it could invoke a state secrets and techniques privilege.
Boasberg issued the extension minutes earlier than the Wednesday midday EDT deadline the Justice Division confronted to offer the knowledge.
“Although their grounds for such request at first blush are not persuasive, the Court will extend the deadline for one more day,” Boasberg, an appointee of former President Obama, wrote in a short order.
Boasberg drew Trump’s ire when he issued a Saturday ruling blocking the president from invoking the Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport Venezuelan migrants the administration says are suspected gang members.
The choose is demanding details about a number of deportation flights that left U.S. soil Saturday and whether or not they violated his order. The Justice Division insists it complied as a result of the flights had left U.S. territory by the point the choose’s written order issued.
The administration has requested Boasberg to wipe his data requests, insisting in a sharply worded submitting earlier Monday that the choose was turning the case right into a “picayune dispute” and that offering the knowledge would trigger nationwide safety considerations.
The choose’s newest order provides the administration till Thursday at midday EDT to both hand over the knowledge or formally invoke the state secrets and techniques privilege.
Although the extension is brief, it gives an appeals courtroom a window to intervene beforehand. The District of Columbia Circuit Courtroom of Appeals is weighing the Trump administration’s request to dam Boasberg’s choices and will rule anytime after the ultimate transient is submitted late Wednesday afternoon.
