Within the practically three months since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, attorneys difficult his actions in courtroom have alleged that his administration has violated courtroom orders on a half dozen events, in line with courtroom information reviewed by ABC Information.
From unilaterally freezing federal funding to the usage of the Alien Enemies Act to deport noncitizens, the clashes have raised issues concerning the separation of powers and the potential for a constitutional disaster.
Plaintiffs suing the Trump administration have alleged the federal government violated or ignored courtroom orders on at the very least six completely different events, however no decide to this point has held a member of the Trump administration in contempt of courtroom. On at the very least 4 events, judges have expressed issues concerning the Trump administration’s compliance with courtroom orders.
President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, April 14, 2025 in Washington.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Legal professionals with the Justice Division have vigorously defended the actions of the Trump administration and argued that federal officers have strictly complied with lawful courtroom orders, whereas additionally questioning the legality of some orders. Every of the circumstances are ongoing or being appealed, so the district courtroom orders could also be vacated as greater courts weigh in.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to respect a courtroom order even when a decide guidelines in opposition to elements of his agenda, although he has tried to forged doubt on the authority of some judges.
“Properly, I at all times abide by the courts after which I will need to attraction it,” Trump advised ABC’s Rachel Scott in February, referencing circumstances involving Elon Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity. In these circumstances, Trump instructed a decide’s order “slowed down the momentum, and it offers crooked individuals extra time to cowl up the books. , if an individual’s crooked and so they get caught, different individuals see that and hastily it turns into tougher afterward.”
The Trump Administration now faces arguably its most high-profile authorized battle, because it makes an attempt to hold Kilmar Abrego Garcia in Salvadoran custody regardless of the Supreme Court docket ordering his administration to facilitate his launch.
Utilizing the Alien Enemies Act to take away alleged members of Tren de Aragua
Final month, the Trump administration eliminated greater than 100 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to a Salvadoran jail below the Alien Enemies Act regardless of a federal decide ordering they be returned to the U.S.
Undated photograph supplied by the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Maryland, a person recognized by Jennifer Vasquez Sura as her husband, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, is led by pressure by guards by way of the Terrorism Confinement Middle in Tecoluca, El Salvador.
U.S. District Court docket for the District of Maryland by way of AP
U.S. District Choose James Boasberg issued a directive that two planes carrying the boys to El Salvador be returned to the US on March 15. Regardless of each planes nonetheless being within the air on the time of the order, the planes landed in Honduras earlier than flying to El Salvador.
Legal professionals representing the Venezuelan males have argued that the Trump administration violated the courtroom order, and Choose James Boasberg remarked that the federal government “acted in dangerous religion” when it rushed the deportation flights.
On this March 16, 2023, file photograph, Choose James E. Boasberg, chief decide of the Federal District Court docket in DC, stands for a portrait at E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, D.C.
Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Submit by way of Getty Photos, FILE
The Supreme Court docket vacated his order blocking any future removals below the Alien Enemies Act as a result of the plaintiffs lacked jurisdiction to carry a case in D.C. Previous to the Supreme Court docket’s choice, Choose Boasberg was contemplating starting contempt proceedings.
Trump defended his use of the Alien Enemies Act – telling reporters final month that he has the authority to take away noncitizens below the legislation – and has repeatedly criticized Choose Boasberg for blocking the removals.
“[Secretary of State Marco Rubio has] the authority to get dangerous individuals out of our nation. And you may’t cease that with a decide sitting behind a bench that has no concept what goes on, who occurs to be a radical left lunatic,” Trump advised ABC’s Karen Travers.
Removing of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
After the Trump administration acknowledged it had deported a Salvadoran native who was residing in Maryland below protected authorized standing on account of an “administrative error,” a federal decide ordered the federal government to facilitate his return to the US.
Undated photograph supplied by CASA, an immigrant advocacy group, in April 2025, exhibits Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
CASA by way of AP
After the Trump administration appealed the choice, the U.S. Supreme Court docket concluded that Choose Paula Xinis “correctly” required that the U.S. facilitate Abrego Garcia’s launch from Salvadoran custody; nevertheless, the excessive courtroom ordered Choose Xinis decide what “deference” Trump is owed associated to his conduct of international affairs.
For the reason that Supreme Court docket’s ruling, the Trump administration has doubled down on its allegation that Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13 — with out offering any proof — and claimed it lacks the authority to return him to the U.S. Throughout a gathering with Trump within the Oval Workplace on Monday, Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele advised reporters that he lacks the facility to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S.
“The query is preposterous. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the US?” Bukele mentioned.
Benjamin Osorio, an lawyer for Abrego Garcia, advised ABC Information that he believes the Trump administration is defying the courtroom’s order and {that a} contempt order could be the one factor to immediate the U.S. authorities to return his shopper from El Salvador.
Earlier than his assembly with Bukele, Trump advised reporters that he would respect an order from the Supreme Court docket to return Abrego Garcia.
President Donald Trump meets with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele within the Oval Workplace on the White Home in Washington, April 14, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
“If the Supreme Court docket mentioned carry any person again, I might do this. I respect the Supreme Court docket,” Trump mentioned.
Removing of migrants to 3rd international locations
Throughout a listening to final week, a federal decide gave attorneys with the Justice Division two weeks to supply extra details about three latest removals of noncitizens to El Salvador that came about two days after he issued a short lived order blocking related deportations to international locations apart from their native land with no listening to to lift issues about their security.
Choose Brian Murphy described the “potential violations of the non permanent restraining order” as “regarding” and set an April 28 listening to to study extra concerning the deportations.
“That is one thing that’s regarding to me,” Choose Murphy mentioned. “I do suppose it is one thing that we have to deal with.”
Legal professionals with the Justice Division agreed to supply extra details about the removals and defended the administration’s conduct.
Choose Murphy is contemplating extending his courtroom order that forestalls the Trump administration from eradicating noncitizens to international locations apart from their native land with out permitting the noncitizens to lift issues about their security.
Two days after Choose Murphy briefly blocked the deportations, the Trump administration introduced that it had eliminated 17 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 to El Salvador’s infamous CECOT jail. Based on the plaintiffs, a number of the males on these flights had remaining orders of elimination to Venezuela and have been by no means given the fitting to problem their elimination to El Salvador.
Unilaterally freezing funding to states
In February, U.S. District Choose John McConnell mentioned {that a} group of state attorneys common introduced proof that the Trump administration “continued to improperly freeze federal funds and refused to renew disbursement of appropriated federal funds” to states regardless of a “clear and unambiguous” order barring them from blocking the funding.
He ordered the federal government to “instantly restore frozen funding” although the state attorneys common later supplied proof that the Trump administration continued to pause funding from FEMA. Lots of the funding streams have been restored within the months following Choose McConnell’s order.
Legal professionals representing the Trump administration have argued the limiting of funds was a lawful strategy to establish and restrict alleged fraud.
Blocking FEMA grants
Two months after Choose McConnell ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funding to states, he decided that the federal government “covertly” paused tens of millions of {dollars} in FEMA funding in direct violation of a courtroom order.
Choose McConnell ordered the Trump Administration to “instantly stop” its efforts to impede the disbursement of federal funds, discovering the federal government straight violated his order.
The U.S. Supreme Court docket is seen April 7, 2025 in Washington.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photos
Final month, a coalition of twenty-two attorneys common requested Choose McConnell to cease the freeze after they introduced proof that FEMA continued to limit greater than 215 federal grants regardless of a courtroom order blocking Trump’s unilateral funding freeze.
Legal professionals with the DOJ pushed again on the request, arguing that FEMA was “merely implementing a handbook assessment course of” of every grant.
Choose McConnell disagreed, discovering that the states introduced “undisputed proof” that FEMA “primarily [imposed] an indefinite categorical pause on funds” in direct violation of his preliminary injunction. He mentioned the handbook assessment course of cited by the Trump administration “violates” a preliminary injunction issued within the case.
Freezing billions in international assist
A federal decide in February decided that the Trump administration was improperly withholding practically $2 billion in international assist regardless of an order to revive the funding.
U.S. District Choose Amir H. Ali blocked the Trump administration from imposing a blanket freeze on funding from the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth, but the freeze continued for weeks, in line with attorneys representing the international assist nonprofits. Legal professionals representing the Trump administration have argued the funding freeze was essential to establish and block potential fraud.
In an order, Choose Ali wrote that the Trump administration justified the freeze by advancing “an unbridled view of Govt energy that the Supreme Court docket has constantly rejected—a view that flouts a number of statutes.”
After the Trump administration appealed the order, a divided U.S. Supreme Court docket denied the request to dam the order, although the justices ordered the decrease courtroom to make clear its authentic order.