Washington, D.C. — The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee says newly obtained documents bolster claims that a senior Justice Department official urged colleagues to ignore court orders during a controversial deportation operation earlier this year.
Sen. Dick Durbin revealed Thursday that internal communications support whistleblower Erez Reuveni’s allegation that Emil Bove, a former personal attorney to Donald Trump and now a nominee for a federal appellate judgeship, told Justice Department lawyers to consider defying judicial orders.
“Guess we are going to say fk you to the court,” one DOJ attorney wrote in a text, according to messages shared with Durbin’s office. Another warned the effort would likely end in a nationwide injunction and a moment of reckoning: “a decision point on fk you.”
These communications, while not from Bove himself, reportedly reflect internal discussions among DOJ lawyers ahead of the March deportation of migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act—a little-used wartime statute now central to a legal firestorm over the administration’s handling of immigration policy.
Reuveni, an immigration law expert who was later fired, alleged that Bove made the crude comment during a March meeting, suggesting DOJ might have to simply reject judicial intervention and proceed with deportations. A judge later halted the deportations and ordered planes turned around. A contempt case against the DOJ remains on hold.
“These episodes can only lead to one conclusion: Emil Bove belongs nowhere near the federal bench,” Durbin said in a statement. “This isn’t just about foul language—it’s about defying the courts at the highest levels of government.”
Bove, who has no prior judicial experience and has come under scrutiny for intervening in cases like the federal corruption probe of New York Mayor Eric Adams, told senators during his recent confirmation hearing that he did not recall making such a statement.
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended Bove and the DOJ’s conduct, calling Reuveni a “disgruntled employee” and denying that any official was told to disobey court orders.
“No one was ever asked to defy a court order,” Bondi posted on X. “This is more misinformation designed to align with a false narrative right before a confirmation vote.”
Reuveni maintains he was fired in retaliation for raising internal concerns about misleading the courts. DOJ leadership, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, has dismissed his claims as false and politically motivated.
Durbin pushed back, describing Reuveni as a “loyal public servant” and saying the documents he provided — including emails, messages, and notes — point to troubling dysfunction and ethical lapses within the Justice Department’s senior ranks.
Some communications reportedly show department lawyers questioning DOJ assertions in court, including claims that a Salvadoran man deported under the March order was a high-level gang member.
“This is about basic integrity,” Durbin said. “If Mr. Bove can’t recall these events and expects others to abandon their ethical obligations, he lacks the moral judgment to sit on the federal bench for life.”
Bove’s nomination is expected to come up for a vote in the Judiciary Committee in the coming days.
