A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of unaccompanied Guatemalan children, halting planes that had already begun preparations to remove minors from the United States.
The ruling underscores ongoing legal battles over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies.
Emergency Order Issued
On Sunday, August 31, District Court Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued an emergency order after advocates warned that dozens of children were already being loaded onto flights bound for Guatemala.
Lawyers for the children argued that the deportations would violate federal child protection statutes, deny due process, and expose vulnerable minors to abuse and persecution upon return.
The judge’s initial order blocked the deportation of 10 children, ages 10 to 17, before she expanded it during an emergency hearing to cover more than 600 unaccompanied minors currently in federal custody. The restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days while the case proceeds.
Government and Advocacy Arguments
The Trump administration, represented in court by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign, argued that the flights were not deportations but rather “family reunifications” requested by the Guatemalan government and the children’s relatives. Ensign told the court that although one flight may have briefly departed, it had returned to the United States and that “all planes were on the ground.”
Advocacy groups disputed those claims, stating that many of the children have pending immigration cases and that not all parents or relatives had consented to repatriation. Court filings asserted that the administration’s actions contravened federal laws meant to safeguard children arriving alone at U.S. borders.
Reactions and Broader Implications
The ruling has generated strong responses. Immigration advocates praised the court’s intervention, with the National Immigration Law Center describing the attempted deportations as a grave injustice carried out “in the dead of night on a holiday weekend.”
By contrast, White House advisor Stephen Miller criticized Judge Sooknanan, claiming she had prevented minors from reuniting with their parents in Guatemala.
The decision marks a significant legal setback for Trump’s broader effort to accelerate mass deportations, a central campaign promise. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the administration to resume removals of migrants to third countries without permitting them to present asylum claims—a move already drawing controversy among immigration lawyers and scholars.
International Reaction
In Guatemala City, dozens of parents had gathered at a reception center in anticipation of their children’s return, only to learn of the court’s order.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo criticized the ruling, pledging to continue negotiations with Washington to repatriate the minors under a pilot program.
