A US judge issued an emergency order on Sunday to stop the Trump administration from deporting nearly 700 unaccompanied Guatemalan children. The move came after immigrant advocates called the plan illegal.
Lawyers for 10 Guatemalan minors, aged 10 to 17, filed court papers late Saturday stating that planes were preparing to take off for Guatemala within hours. A federal judge in Washington ruled that the children could not be deported for at least 14 days. Following a quickly arranged hearing on Sunday, she ordered that the children be removed from the planes and returned to Office of Refugee Resettlement facilities while the legal process continues.
Judge Sparkle L Sooknanan, appointed by President Biden, began the hearing by confirming that the Justice Department had received her expanded order and that officials were aware of it. “I do not want there to be any ambiguity,” she said, noting that her ruling applies broadly to Guatemalan minors who arrived in the US without parents or guardians.
Government lawyers argued that the children were not being deported but rather reunited with parents or guardians at their request—a claim disputed by the children’s lawyers in at least some cases.
“I have conflicting narratives from both sides here,” Sooknanan said, adding that the government’s account “doesn’t quite line up” with what advocates had told her.
Similar emergency requests were filed in Arizona and Illinois, where attorneys asked federal judges to block deportations of unaccompanied minors, showing how quickly the legal challenge has spread.
At an airport in Harlingen, Texas, near the border, activity was intense on Sunday morning. Buses carrying migrants arrived on the tarmac as federal agents moved between vehicles and waiting planes. Police cars patrolled the area, and officers kept reporters back from the fences. On the runway, planes sat with engines running, as if ready for immediate departure—all while the legal battle unfolded hundreds of miles away in Washington.
By Sunday evening, a government lawyer confirmed that the children scheduled for flights to Guatemala had been taken off the planes and returned to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
According to a letter from Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the Trump administration had reached an agreement with Guatemala to send back unaccompanied children and planned to begin deportations over the weekend. The Guatemalan government said it was prepared to receive them.
Melissa Johnston, director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s program for unaccompanied children, emailed staff on Thursday instructing them to halt the release of all Guatemalan children except those sponsored by parents or legal guardians in the US, according to documents seen by Reuters.
Lawyers for the children argued that the US government lacks the authority to remove them and is denying due process by blocking their ability to seek asylum or other immigration relief. Many have active cases in immigration courts, the court filing stated.
Although the children are supposed to be under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the government is “illegally transferring them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody to put them on flights to Guatemala, where they may face abuse, neglect, persecution, or torture,” according to the filing by attorneys from the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and other organizations.The National Immigration Law Center and the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights have filed a legal complaint stating that the U.S. government is planning to deport unaccompanied migrant children, in violation of protections granted to them by Congress. These children, who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border without parents or guardians, are typically placed under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. They stay in government shelters or foster homes until they can be released to a sponsor, usually a family member already in the U.S.
The complaint alleges that officials intend to transfer these children to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation to Guatemala, where they could face abuse, neglect, persecution, or torture. The organizations argue that such actions are illegal and contrary to the children’s best interests.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not yet responded to requests for comment. Guatemala’s foreign ministry also declined to comment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about a US judge halting the deportation of hundreds of Guatemalan children designed to be clear and helpful
Basic Questions
1 What is this news story about
A US federal judge issued a temporary order to stop the government from deporting hundreds of Guatemalan children and their families who were seeking asylum
2 Why were these children going to be deported
The government was trying to quickly send them back to Guatemala under a public health rule originally put in place during the COVID19 pandemic which allows for expulsions without a full asylum hearing
3 Why did the judge stop the deportations
The judge agreed with immigrant rights groups who argued that sending the children back to Guatemala could expose them to serious danger violence or persecution and that they deserved a chance to have their asylum claims heard in court
4 Does this mean they get to stay in the US forever
No The judges order is a temporary halt often called an injunction It pauses the deportations while the court fully considers the legal arguments They will still have to go through the official asylum process to see if they can stay longterm
Intermediate Questions
5 What is Title 42 the rule mentioned
Title 42 is a public health authority not an immigration law It was used by the previous and current administrations to quickly expel migrants at the border citing the need to prevent the spread of COVID19 Critics say it bypasses legal asylum protections
6 What happens to the families and children now
They will likely be processed by immigration authorities and may be released to sponsors or family members in the US while their immigration cases proceed They will be given a date to appear in immigration court
7 Is this a final decision on their asylum cases
No absolutely not This ruling does not grant them asylum or any legal status It only gives them the opportunity to present their case for asylum to an immigration judge which is a right under US and international law
8 Who filed the lawsuit to stop these deportations
The lawsuit was filed by immigrant advocacy organizations such as the ACLU on behalf of the families
Advanced Practical Questions
9 What was the legal basis for the judges injunction
The judge likely found that
