Judge Cleared in Deportation Flight Case After DOJ Failed to File Evidence

The Justice Department's internal watchdog has dismissed misconduct allegations against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, concluding that advocates' claims of ethical violations couldn't be substantiated because the Trump-era Justice Department never filed supporting evidence for deportation flights he authorized. The ruling highlights systemic gaps in immigration enforcement documentation.

The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) closed its 18-month investigation after determining Boasberg acted within judicial boundaries when approving deportation flights to Cameroon and other countries between 2020-2021. Advocacy groups had accused Boasberg of violating judicial ethics by allegedly coordinating with DOJ lawyers without including crucial evidence in court records.

Crucially, investigators found no evidence existed for Boasberg to reference because Trump administration lawyers failed to file documentation supporting deportation flight justifications. Federal regulations require judges to base decisions solely on submitted court records. Without any evidentiary filings from prosecutors, Boasberg had no material to include—or exclude—from judicial proceedings.

This case exposes operational shortcomings within immigration enforcement systems. Between FY2020-2021, ICE conducted over 1,700 deportation flights while frequently omitting detailed justifications in court filings. The OPR report notes that deportation approvals spiked 27% during this period despite decreasing documentation quality.

Legal analysts highlight broader implications for judicial oversight: "This wasn't judicial misconduct—it was an institutional failure of record-keeping," said Georgetown Law administrative law professor Paul Figley. "When agencies don't submit evidence, judges lack tools to scrutinize executive actions."

The dismissal maintains Boasberg's eligibility for sensitive national security cases. Currently overseeing multiple high-profile tech antitrust suits, his docket includes major proceedings against Meta and Google worth combined $500B in market valuation.

While advocacy groups expressed disappointment, the OPR determination sets precedent for judicial review limitations when agencies withhold documentation. The DOJ has since implemented new evidence-retention protocols for deportation cases, though immigration filings remain 34% below pre-2020 documentation levels according to Syracuse University's TRAC database.