Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem is at the center of a fierce legal battle, after greenlighting deportation flights to El Salvador despite a judge’s direct order to bring them back to U.S. soil, the Justice Department revealed in explosive new court documents Tuesday.

The legal drama unfolded as U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ramped up his investigation into the Trump administration’s possible contempt of court related to a flurry of mid-March deportations. Boasberg had made it crystal clear: Flights carrying deportees needed to be grounded or even sent back—plain and simple. He’s now accusing federal leaders of brazenly ignoring his commands.

The Justice Department, however, shot back in their latest filing, insisting they played by the rules and that there’s no need for further court hearings. Still, the document does not shy away from naming the key players, detailing exactly who was in the room when the call was made.

Here’s how it all went down: Following Judge Boasberg’s hardline directives, DOJ official Drew Ensign quickly relayed the message up the flagpole to Justice and DHS top brass. The next moves came from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and ex-Principal Associate Deputy AG Emil Bove, who shared their legal insights with the acting general counsel at DHS. That advice was swiftly passed to Secretary Noem, who had the final say.

Noem, according to court papers, determined that individuals already removed from U.S. property before Boasberg’s ruling could legally be transferred to Salvadoran authorities. The Justice Department maintains this action was entirely above board and based on their legal reading of the judge’s order.

But with Boasberg calling foul and demanding answers, the courtroom showdown shows no signs of cooling off anytime soon.