US whistleblower accuses Trump officials of willfully ignoring court orders

June 24, 2025
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A former lawyer with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has published a whistleblower complaint accusing officials of intentionally ignoring court orders that might impede US President Donald Trump’s campaign for mass deportation.

On Tuesday, representatives for Erez Reuveni filed a 35-page letter of complaint detailing the lawyer’s allegations against the Trump administration.

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Trump says ‘I don’t know’ when asked if he backs US due process rights

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Deported man Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to US to face charges

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Abrego Garcia pleads not guilty to human smuggling charges in US court

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It offers a look at the debates and divisions unfolding behind the scenes at the Justice Department, as it defends Trump’s efforts to arrest and rapidly deport non-citizens, a process that has spurred concern about rights violations.

Members of the Trump administration have “engaged in unlawful activity, abused their authority, [and] created substantial and specific threat to health and safety”, according to the letter.

As a result, it says, “Mr Reuveni is exercising his rights … to report wrongdoing”.

The letter was addressed to members of Congress, as well as the inspector general for the Justice Department, who investigates allegations of misconduct within the bureau. Reuveni was ultimately fired in April.

One administration official who features prominently in his allegations is Emil Bove, who formerly served as Trump’s personal lawyer. Bove helped to defend Trump against criminal charges last year in New York, where he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business documents.

Trump has since named Bove to be part of his administration in his second term as president. For the first three months of Trump’s term, Bove was acting attorney general at the Justice Department. And this week, he faces a Senate confirmation hearing for his nomination to join the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals as a judge.

Scrutiny on deportation flights

One incident allegedly occurred on March 14, when Trump was weighing whether to use a wartime law — the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — to pave the way for expedited removals from the country.

According to Reuveni’s account, Bove told Justice Department lawyers that Trump would soon sign an order to invoke the law, which had only been used three times in US history, all during periods of war.

Bove added that planes would imminently take off, deporting individuals under the law’s authority.

But as Reuveni recalled, Bove anticipated pushback from the courts. He said that Bove “stressed to all in attendance that the planes needed to take off no matter what” and that the Justice Department “would need to consider telling the courts ‘f*** you’”.

The room fell silent, according to Reuveni, who observed “awkward, nervous glances” among his colleagues.

“Mr Reuveni was stunned by Bove’s statement because, to Mr Reuveni’s knowledge, no one in DOJ leadership — in any Administration — had ever suggested the Department of Justice could blatantly ignore court orders, especially with a ‘f*** you’,” the complaint said.

It added that the Justice Department typically advises its government clients to follow court orders, not ignore them.

The very next day, on March 15, the government’s use of the Alien Enemies Act was challenged in a US district court in Washington, DC, led by Judge James Boasberg.

When questioned by Boasberg, a high-ranking Justice Department lawyer denied knowing whether any deportation flights were taking off imminently. In his complaint, Reuveni said that statement was false.

Later that day, Boasberg issued a court injunction that barred any removals under the Alien Enemies Act and required any US planes carrying out such deportations to return to the country.

Reuveni said he emailed the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State multiple times in the hours afterwards to ensure they complied with Boasberg’s order. But he said he received no reply.

The flights ultimately landed in El Salvador, where hundreds of deported immigrants were sent to a prison called the Terrorism Confinement Centre or CECOT.

“Mr Reuveni anticipated that the government would be held in contempt of court for deplaning those on the flight,” the complaint reads.

Boasberg has since indicated that he has found probable cause for contempt on the part of the Trump administration, though an appeals court has temporarily paused proceedings on the matter.

Inside the Abrego Garcia case

In a second instance detailed in the complaint, Reuveni said he tried to alert the Trump administration that it may be in violation of another court injunction — only to be “told to stop asking questions”.

Further, Reuveni alleged that he received advice to “communicate by phone only where possible”, presumably to avoid leaving a paper trail.

A third episode outlined in the complaint sheds light on Reuveni’s participation in the high-profile case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who had a protection order allowing him to remain in the US.

Abrego Garcia was nevertheless deported on March 15, in what officials admitted was an “administrative error”.

The Trump administration has nevertheless defended its actions by accusing Abrego Garcia of membership in a gang, MS-13.

Despite a court order, upheld by the Supreme Court, to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return, the Trump administration left him in Salvadoran custody for more than two months. Only on June 6 did it return him to the US, on the premise that he would face criminal charges for human trafficking.

In the complaint, Reuveni said that, at first, he thought Abrego Garcia’s return to the US would be “straightforward”.

But then he said he was stonewalled and told to “cease making requests” and “stop asking for facts supporting any possible defence of the case”. He was also discouraged from making “asks” of El Salvador’s government.

Reuveni later made headlines for conceding in court that Abrego Garcia should not have been removed from the country. He also said he did not have “satisfactory” answers for questions from the judge in the case, Paula Xinis.

That incident was perceived as a black eye for the Trump administration.

Behind closed doors, Reuveni’s boss asked him why he did not accuse Abrego Garcia of being “a member of a terrorist organisation” during the court hearing, according to the complaint. Reuveni said he responded that the government had not provided evidence or submitted briefs to support that argument.

When the Trump administration circulated an appeal on April 4 advancing those arguments, Reuveni reportedly said he could not sign it because the allegations “were not supported by law or the record”.

“Mr Reuveni responded, ‘I didn’t sign up to lie,’” the complaint said.

Professional fallout

By April 11, Reuveni was fired from his position with the Justice Department, after nearly 15 years of service.

Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement at the time accusing him of failing to “zealously advocate on behalf of the United States”, as is expected of a government lawyer. But Reuveni’s complaint disputes that accusation.

“Discouraging clients from engaging in illegal conduct is an important part of the role of lawyer,” it reads. “Mr Reuveni tried to do so and was thwarted, threatened, fired and publicly disparaged for both doing his job and telling the truth to the court.”

The complaint notes that Reuveni had previously received “stellar” evaluations for his work on immigration policy, including during Trump’s first term.

Still, as the news of the complaint circulated on US media, members of the Trump administration sought to frame Reuveni’s claims as those of a “disgruntled former employee”.

“I was at the meeting described in the article and at no time did anyone suggest a court order should not be followed,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a statement on social media.

He accused Reuveni and media outlets like The New York Times, which published a copy of Reuveni’s complaint, of attempting to sabotage Bove’s chances of being confirmed as a circuit court judge.

“This is disgusting journalism,” he wrote. “Planting a false hit piece the day before a confirmation hearing is something we have come to expect from the media, but it does not mean it should be tolerated.”

Democrats, meanwhile, seized the complaint as evidence of malfeasance in the Trump administration.

“Emil Bove has no respect for the rule of law and court orders. He does not belong on the federal bench,” Senator Cory Booker wrote on social media.

Senator Dick Durbin, meanwhile, released a statement praising Reuveni for coming forward as a whistleblower. He said the Senate had an obligation to act on the “serious allegations” raised about Bove.

“I want to thank Mr Reuveni for exercising his right to speak up and bring accountability to Mr Bove,” Durbin wrote. “And I implore my Senate Republican colleagues: do not turn a blind eye to the dire consequences of confirming Mr Bove to a lifetime position as a circuit court judge.”

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V.I. Architecture Center Restores History While Building Futures

The Virgin Islands Architecture Center for Built Heritage and Crafts, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community development organization, is transforming the Old Barracks Property on Hospital Street in Christiansted, St. Croix, into a hub for education, preservation, and cultural pride.

Board Chair and President Mary Dema said the vision is to create something “unique to the entire Caribbean,” with the potential to be incorporated into exchange programs with schools and universities in the U.S. and abroad. VIAC has developed five-year, 10-year, and 15-year plans, which will begin with trade schools once the buildings are restored.

“We hope to initiate the trade schools first, but we have to get our buildings redone,” Dema explained.

Project Manager Xavier Acevedo, who is overseeing the execution of the project, described the first phase as stabilizing the building shell through plastering, replastering, and installing a historically accurate rebuild of what was once the Christiansted High School. “It’s hard not to get deeply involved in the mission itself — preserving history, moving culture forward, and finding creative ways to keep that mission alive,” Acevedo said.

Manager of Operations and Finances/Director of Education Programming, Amanda Sackey, emphasized that the project is not only about skills but also about heritage. “This isn’t just about teaching a trade,” she said. “It’s about understanding the why behind the art form – the story, the history, and the refined craft of historic preservation.”

A central mission of VIAC is to preserve the islands’ Afro-Danish architectural legacy. “When you drive through our towns, you’re looking at buildings built by our enslaved ancestors who came with incredible skills,” Sackey said. “These structures aren’t just Danish – they’re Afro-Danish. That completely changes the narrative and tells the fuller, more complete story.”

She also underscored the resilience of Virgin Islands architecture: “We have 300-year-old buildings that have survived hurricane after hurricane, earthquake, tsunami. They might look weathered, but they stand. There’s so much to be learned from those designs.”

Another key aspect is teaching proper preservation practices, the team emphasized. “You can’t paint limestone buildings with latex paint because it seals in the moisture,” Sackey explained. “There are very specific, intentional practices that aren’t well understood, and part of our role is to support the Historic Preservation Office in explaining why those guidelines exist.”

While construction aims to move forward, VIAC has already begun community programming thanks to federal and private funding. Some of the VIAC’s current projects include the rehabilitation of the Barracks building, college internships and summer programs, and storytelling and placekeeping at the old Barracks property.

Their four-week summer program and internship program have been “incredibly successful,” introducing students to masonry, woodworking, architecture, engineering, drone photography, and 3D printing. The program’s goal was “to foster an understanding of how modern tools and traditional crafts can work together to preserve and sustain our rich cultural legacy.”

“We’re seeing more of our groups coming together under the same overarching theme of preserving our culture — whether through the arts, furniture design, or other creative expressions,” said Dema. “At the same time, it’s about creating meaningful connections with our youth and giving them opportunities beyond the traditional paths. Programs like this open new doors and help them see different possibilities for their future.”

“At the heart of it all, we want Virgin Islanders to have the opportunity to learn these incredible skills, to preserve our towns correctly, and to take pride in the history and resilience that’s been passed down to us,” she added.

Sackey emphasized that VIAC’s progress could not exist without the support of the wider community. “We can’t exist without our community members being able to see and value the work that we’re doing,” she said. “This work didn’t happen overnight — it’s been seven years in the making, behind the scenes.”

To find out more information and donate to VIAC’s mission, check out their website here.

Town Hall at CAHS Offered Community Input for Creating the Virgin Islands Technical College

On Tuesday, half of the auditorium at the Charlotte Amalie High School was filled with students, education administrators, teachers, and community members interested to learn more about the creation of the Virgin Islands Technical College, with two campuses being fabricated, one on St. Thomas and one on St. Croix.
The VI Technical College is currently in development. Through Bill BR25-0642, the school will offer hands-on skill courses for students. The town hall Tuesday was held to address community questions, concerns, and ideas about technical education and workforce readiness, and to share information about the programs and opportunities at the Virgin Islands Technical College.
Sana Joseph-Smith, policy adviser to Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. for education and workforce development, Sen. Avery Lewis, Lavern Richardson, project director, and V.I. Education Department Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hendrington sat on the town hall panel to address the audience. The Education Department, the University of the Virgin Islands, the Raphael O. Wheatley Skills Center, and the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center are also collaborating to ensure the success of the school.

According to Joseph-Smith, the institution will be for secondary (high school) and postsecondary (adult) students. She also shared with the audience that the funding will be provided from a congressional grant through the delegate to the Congress’s office to establish the school.
“Why should we have to go someplace else when we have the skills and the ability to do that right here? Why do we have to spend so much money when they can do that right here?” asked Joseph-Smith to the audience. She added that the school will “give our students and our community the opportunity to skill-up.”
“For far too long our young people have faced a difficult choice, whether to leave the Virgin Islands in pursuit of opportunity, or to stay and struggle with limited options,” Lewis said.
The VI Technical College will be housed at the Raphael O. Wheatley Skills Center campus on St. Thomas and the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center on St. Croix. Courses such as welding, electrical, cosmetology, hospitality, millwright, child care, business, computer engineering, culinary arts, and phlebotomy will be offered, similar to those already available at both technical school campuses. The licensed practical nurse and elementary education courses, however, will offer associate degrees as opposed to certificates.
“What’s missing, Dr. Francis will always tell me ‘a lot’, is the resources,” Smith said.
Currently, the pro forma for the legislation to establish the schools has been created. Once the legislation passes, the school will undergo an accreditation process with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Lewis said that the bill is not complete or final, but needs to be strengthened and added that the entire process to establish the college will take between 10 and 12 months.

Before opening the floor to questions from the in-person audience and those viewing online, Richardson, project coordinator, addressed frequently asked questions.
Will the instructors continue to be members of the American Federation of Teachers, are there going to be salary changes, will instructors have 10 or 12 month schedules, are the programs going to change? These questions were addressed.
Teachers “will be able to form their own union,” replied Joseph-Smith. “We’ve met with the unions and they’ve decided that there’s another branch they can use for instructors at a technical college.”
She added that at this time, there will be no changes in salaries and schedules will remain at 10 months.
Working closely with the panel, Monique Faulkner, state director of Career, Technical and Adult Education, responded that the CTE programs will be revisited to enhance the offerings, such as allowing associate degree programs. She added that a free electric vehicle certification program will also be offered.
Joseph-Smith noted that although Faulkner said the program is free, it will only be free to those who obtain scholarships.
The audience had many questions concerning the school’s operations, the impact of courses now offering associate’s degrees instead of certificates, funding, and opportunities for continuing education.

Joseph-Smith informed the audience that there will be a chancellor heading the college, and according to Lewis, a 14-member board will be established, comprising 11 voting and three nonvoting members, who will manage the school. According to the pro forma, the nonvoting members must be appointed by the governor and “actively teaching in the career technical educational field.”
Regarding funding, because the school will operate under the education department, “VIDE will be its fiduciary, its financial backer,” said Joseph-Smith. “We are not using any new local funds. We are using our resources that we currently have at Wheatley and CTECH,” she said, and shared that money will come from congressional funding and another unconfirmed source.
Additionally, the panel discussed the job market and encouraged future students to seek careers that are currently in demand, rather than targeting oversaturated fields. Faulkner even spoke about the college’s intention to integrate programs into “employment” fields as opposed to “entrepreneurial” fields, such as aesthetician courses becoming medical aesthetician courses and massage therapy becoming medical massage therapy courses, to get funding for students in these programs.
Overall, though there were many questions raised by the audience, there appeared to be a hopeful outlook from community members.
A town hall is scheduled to take place on St. Croix this Friday, at 6 p.m. at the Educational Complex. For more information about the college, please contact Smith at sana.smith@geo.vi.gov or Lewis at avery.lewis@legvi.org.

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