Appeals court weighs fate of judge's contempt probe over Trump administration deportation flights

A federal appeals court in Washington is currently weighing the fate of a contempt investigation directed at the Trump administration. The probe examines whether government officials unlawfully ignored a judicial order that blocked the deportation of planeloads of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador.

During the proceedings, a Justice Department attorney argued that the lower court judge must terminate the investigation, characterizing it as "unlawful, unnecessary and futile."