The Department of Justice on Tuesday insisted that it hadn’t violated a federal judge’s order to halt certain deportation flights but that rather the two planes technically left U.S. airspace before a written version of the order was issued.
The DOJ still avoided detailing whether the flights left after the judge had already verbally ordered the administration to halt the rushed deportations.
James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the federal court in the District of Columbia, had given the DOJ until noon on Tuesday to come up with answers — upping the stakes by demanding a government official issue a sworn declaration.