A federal appeals court in Washington appeared inclined Tuesday to let U.S. District Judge James Boasberg continue investigating whether Trump administration officials violated his orders when they deported hundreds of Venezuelan men to El Salvador. The 11 active judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, with one exception, took part in nearly three hours of arguments over the Justice Department’s bid to end the contempt proceedings. The inquiry could potentially lead to criminal charges, though no finding of wrongdoing has been made. Boasberg began the investigation last year after the deportations. His order appeared to require that many of the men remain in U.S. custody, but the administration sent them to El Salvador. The government is asking the appeals court to halt the judge’s inquiry. The dispute puts the reach of a federal judge’s authority—and the consequences of disregarding a court order—at the center of a high-stakes clash between the judiciary and the executive branch. The appeals court’s apparent inclination during oral arguments is not a ruling; the judges have yet to issue a decision.