An appeals court panel has ruled that a federal judge must end his contempt investigation of the Trump administration for failing to comply with an order over flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last year. The divided appeals court panel made that ruling Tuesday. The panel majority said Chief Judge James Boasberg abused his discretion in forging ahead with criminal contempt proceedings stemming from the March 2025 deportation flights. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao wrote in the court’s majority opinion that President Donald Trump’s administration has a “clear and indisputable” right to the termination of the contempt proceedings.