DOJ does not detail legal advice to Noem on El Salvador deportations, citing privilege

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

December 6, 2025, 1:05 AM


Department of Justice officials, citing privilege, did not disclose details on the legal advice given to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the decision to continue the deportation of more than 100 Venezuelans to El Salvador in March.

The declarations filed in court Friday are a response to a contempt inquiry initiated by U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, who is determining whether Noem or anyone else should be referred for potential contempt prosecution.

The court filings Friday were submitted after DOJ lawyers said in a filing last week that Noem directed the deportation flights to continue despite Boasberg's order to return the planes to the U.S. as he heard a legal challenge to the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport the Venezuelans, whom the Trump administration accused of being gang members.

In her declaration, Noem confirmed she made the decision to continue the transfer of the detainees after receiving legal advice from DOJ leadership and from Joseph Mazarra, the acting general counsel of DHS. In the filings Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, a DOJ official in March who is now a U.S. circuit judge, declined to provide details on the "privileged" legal advice they gave to Noem.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/doj-detail-legal-advice-noem-el-salvador-deportations/story?id=128164220

---

This is all part of the contempt (re- ) investigation.

REFERENCES

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143565446 (includes earlier references)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143568146
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143572211
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143573762

[travelingthrulife]

1. Privilege?? These monsters work for us.

[Martin68]

2. There should be no privilege for advice given to officials regarding their official duties.

[JoseBalow]

3. Working hard to cover their asses

That's when they work their hardest.

[cstanleytech]

4. If the lawyers gave advice that violated a judge's order they are breaking the law that means privilege shouldn't apply.

After all they are in essence co-conspirators in a crime.

[James48]

6. Exactly correct- there is no privilege to break laws.

[mike_c]

5. wait, what sort of privilege conceals LAWS from public knowledge?