Judge who challenged Venezuelan deportations accused Trump Administration of providing "inadequate" information about flights to El Salvador

District Judge James Boasberg, who questioned the legality of the deportations of Venezuelans to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act, accused the Trump administration of providing a "woefully insufficient" response to his request for more details on last weekend's deportation flights to the Central American country.

According to Politico, Judge Boasberg's brief order represents a first step toward an extensive process that could, even lead to Trump administration’s lawyers or officials being held in contempt.

Notably, Judge Boasberg ordered Justice Department lawyers to explain why two planes carrying Venezuelan nationals allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang that departed from an airport in South Texas continued their journey to El Salvador despite ordering their immediate return to the U.S. last weekend.

Boasberg gave until Tuesday for DOJ lawyers to file a detailed response.

Tuesday is also the deadline for the Trump administration to explain whether it will invoke the "state secrets privilege" to avoid providing him with details about the operation.

Meanwhile, publicly, President Trump himself has lashed out at the Obama-appointed judge, calling him a "Radical Left Lunatic." In turn, DOJ lawyers have argued that the Administration did not violate Judge Boasberg's order directly because the request to return the flights arose when the planes were out of U.S. airspace.

"They argued in court that Boasberg’s directive lacked the formal force of a court order because he issued it orally from the bench, rather than in writing," reported Politico. "They also maintained that the planes were outside of U.S. airspace at the time and that they could have run out of fuel if they tried to return to the U.S."

While Boasberg launches rebukes against the Trump Administration, the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador is generating multiple criticisms from migrant rights advocates, who claim that the federal government is not respecting the migrants' due process by labeling them as Aragua Train gang members without presenting sufficient evidence.

The White House has insisted that immigration and law enforcement officials have correctly identified members of the Aragua Train and therefore opted to take them to El Salvador or the military base at Guantanamo Bay.