A federal judge in the United States on Sunday blocked the deportation of dozens of Guatemalan children, even as planes were on standby in Texas. The emergency ruling came after attorneys filed an urgent request, warning that the government was attempting to quickly expel the minors without respecting their legal rights.
According to CBS News, Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued a temporary restraining order barring the removal of unaccompanied minors to Guatemala without a formal deportation order. The operation was already underway when the ruling was handed down, with several children already seated on planes in Texas.
“The aircraft remain on U.S. soil,” said Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign, noting that one plane briefly took off before returning. Following the judge’s order, Ensign confirmed that the children were placed back under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees unaccompanied immigrant minors. The Justice Department said 76 children were scheduled for deportation on Sunday; by evening, 16 had already been transferred back to HHS custody.
Rapid Legal Intervention
The night before, Judge Sooknanan had already blocked the removal of a first group of 10 minors, aged 10 to 17. Initially, she had set a hearing for the afternoon, but upon learning that additional children were about to be transferred, she advanced the session to noon and expanded the scope of her order. The judge acknowledged that her ruling was unusual but said it was necessary given the administration’s plan to carry out removals during a holiday weekend.
Attorneys argued that the Trump administration intended to deport more than 600 Guatemalan youths without affording them the chance to seek humanitarian protection, exposing them to the risk of violence or persecution in their home country. They cited the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which prohibits the swift removal of unaccompanied minors from non-contiguous countries and guarantees them an immigration hearing and the right to apply for asylum or other legal relief. Lawyers stressed that many of the children had ongoing cases pending.
Ensign defended the administration’s actions, arguing that the effort did not constitute “deportations” but rather family reunifications, claiming the Guatemalan government and relatives had requested the children’s return. Advocates disputed that explanation, citing instances where parents had not asked for their children to be sent back. “The U.S. government was trying to deport children who had already applied for protection,” said Neha Desai of the National Center for Youth Law in California. “It’s illegal and inhumane,” she added.
A Controversial System Under Scrutiny
The handling of unaccompanied migrant children has long been a contentious issue in the United States. HHS places them in shelters or foster care until they turn 18 or a sponsor—often a family member living in the U.S.—can take custody. The agency currently cares for about 2,000 children, most from Central America, especially Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, CBS News reported.
Many of these youths seek asylum or special immigrant juvenile visas for those who have been abused or abandoned. Under President Donald Trump’s stricter immigration policies, such protections have been curtailed, and the process for undocumented relatives to serve as sponsors has become more difficult. In addition, the administration has authorized immigration officers to conduct “wellness visits” for children in care—a measure officials describe as oversight but critics denounce as intimidation.
The case underscores the ongoing clash over the treatment of unaccompanied minors. Advocates insist that the government is ignoring fundamental legal safeguards, while the administration portrays the removals as legitimate family reunifications. Judge Sooknanan’s decision has, for now, halted deportations, but upcoming hearings will determine the fate of these children in the weeks ahead.
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