During the Saturday proceeding, Judge Boasberg recognized that if the aircraft left American airspace, the court would lose effective jurisdiction over the detainees. He issued a verbal temporary restraining order from the bench, commanding the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to halt the operation. Crucially, Judge Boasberg directed that any aircraft already airborne must turn around and return to United States soil to preserve the status quo.
Court transcripts capture the tension of those hours. While DOJ trial attorneys confirmed they communicated the judicial flight injunction to agency leadership, the flights did not reverse course. Two chartered aircraft continued south across the Caribbean, touching down in San Salvador where local security forces took custody of the passengers. When plaintiffs' counsel informed the bench that the transfers were completed despite the order, Boasberg opened formal inquiries into whether government personnel knowingly violated federal directives.
