Judge blocks Trump administration from relocating Guatemalan children

A U.S. judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to expel dozens of unaccompanied Guatemalan children back to their home country.

The District Court judge’s order glittering in Sunday’s order was in response to reports that children were sent on the plane and would be taken to Guatemala, with lawyers arguing that they would be at risk of abuse and persecution.

The children arrived in the United States alone and were detained by the government when assessing immigration claims.

The U.S. Department of Justice lawyers said the children were not deported, but were repatriated and therefore could be reunited with their families.

The legal lawsuit was triggered earlier Sunday, when immigration advocacy groups demanded an emergency ban claiming that about 600 children could be placed on Texas aircraft and deported.

Judge Sooknanan then issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting officials from sending 10 immigrant children aged 10 to 17 to Guatemala.

At a hastily arranged hearing Sunday afternoon, Judge Sooknanan, nominated by former President Joe Biden, expanded the order to cover all unaccompanied children, allegedly at risk of being deported. The order will be scheduled for 14 days.

During the hearing, Judge Sooknanan sought assurances from Trump administration lawyers that the plane had not yet left with the children on board.

Deputy Attorney General Second Sessional, Second Sessional Drew said all aircraft were on the U.S. “The ground”. He told the judge that a plane might have taken off but was back.

The flights were not part of the deportation effort, but were reunited with parents and other relatives in Guatemala, Ensign said.

He also said that the Guatemalan government and children’s relatives demanded reunion. Advocacy groups say that this is untrue in at least some cases.

In court documents, the children’s attorneys believed that the lawsuit violated federal laws designed to protect children who arrived in the United States alone. They said some children had pending cases before immigration judges and expressed credible fears of returning.

“On a holiday weekend night, the Trump administration tore the vulnerable, frightened children out of bed, trying to bring them back to Guatemala,” said Efrén COlivares of the National Immigration Law Center, which filed the lawsuit.

“We are excited that the court has prevented this injustice from happening before hundreds of children are irreparable harm.”

White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller criticized the judge for blocking flights.

“Minors all report themselves that their parents have returned to Guatemala. But the Democratic judge refused to reunite them with their parents,” he wrote on X.

Since the start of the second term, Trump has begun a thorough effort to eliminate undocumented immigration – an important election promise that has gained massive support during this campaign.

In June, U.S. Supreme Court clears roads Trump resumes deporting immigrants to countries outside of their territory without giving them the chance of risks they may face.