DOJ tries to shut down contempt of court case tied to deportation flight

The intrigue: D.C. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg called the government's legal counsel to testify to the court next week to determine what decision-makers were told when the deportation planes took off, which could shed light on if the government was knowingly ignoring court orders.

What they're saying: "The district judge has been doggedly pursuing an idiosyncratic and misguided inquiry into whether Defendants willfully … committed criminal contempt," the Justice Department said in a 38-page ruling.

• The department said they weren't in contempt, noting a judge had concluded the administration likely didn't have to return the Venezuelans already in El Salvador.
• "Even if one disagrees, his concurrence makes it impossible to conclude that Defendants defied a clear and unambiguous order, a basic prerequisite for pursuing criminal contempt charges."
• "Still, the district court has plunged forward and in a doubly unconstitutional manner."

Catch up quick: Boasberg ruled in March that the administration could not send two planes of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

• However, the administration insisted that since the migrants were already in the air over international waters, the court lacked the authority to require the flight to turn around.
• Boasberg disagreed, saying that the president had shown a "willful disregard" for the order, and that there was "probable cause" to find the government in criminal contempt.

Go deeper: Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody following judge's order