A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday set aside Chief District Judge James E. Boasberg’s finding of probable cause to hold Trump-administration officials in criminal contempt. In a 2–1 ruling, Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao—both appointed by former President Donald Trump—concluded that Boasberg overstepped his authority when he moved toward contempt proceedings. Judge Cornelia Pillard dissented. The decision lifts the threat of criminal sanctions that had hung over senior officials for defying Boasberg’s 15 March verbal order to halt deportation flights and return any planes already airborne. Katsas wrote that the district court’s approach raised “troubling questions” about judicial control over core executive functions, while Rao said the contemplated contempt action constituted an “especially egregious” intrusion into foreign-affairs powers. Pillard countered that allowing officials to ignore court orders undermines the rule of law. Boasberg had ruled in April that administration officials showed “willful disregard” for his temporary restraining order by sending more than 200 Venezuelan nationals—whom the government labeled members of the Tren de Aragua gang—to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The removals were carried out under the rarely used 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which the administration invoked to expedite deportations. Friday’s appellate ruling halts the contempt inquiry, but separate litigation challenging the government’s reliance on the Alien Enemies Act remains pending.