Washington: A U.S. federal judge has issued an emergency order halting the deportation of unaccompanied Guatemalan children, temporarily blocking a controversial government initiative that sought to repatriate them under a new bilateral agreement with Guatemala. The ruling came in the early hours of Monday, preventing several minors from being flown out of the country.
The order was delivered by Judge Sparkle Sooknanan at 2:35 a.m. ET, after advocacy groups filed urgent motions to stop the deportations. The restraining order, valid for 14 days, not only protects the ten children initially identified but also extends to all unaccompanied Guatemalan minors currently in U.S. government custody. The judge’s intervention meant that some children, who had already boarded planes for deportation, were removed and returned to federal shelters overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Child advocacy groups, including the National Immigration Law Center and the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, argued that the deportations violated federal protections for vulnerable minors. They warned that many of these children, aged between 10 and 17, face serious risks of exploitation, violence, and persecution if returned without proper review of their asylum or protection claims.
The Biden administration had earlier emphasized protecting immigrant minors, but President Donald Trump’s new immigration crackdown part of his broader second-term agenda—has aggressively sought to speed up removals. The sudden move to repatriate Guatemalan children followed a bilateral agreement signed earlier this year, designed to fast-track returns without the lengthy asylum process. Critics say this effectively strips minors of their right to due process.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller defended the government’s approach, claiming the parents of some children had requested their return. Advocacy organizations strongly disputed that claim, insisting the children must be given a fair chance to seek protection under U.S. and international law.
The ruling highlights the sharp clash between humanitarian obligations and hardline immigration policies. More than 600 Guatemalan minors currently remain in federal custody and will be shielded from deportation while the court order is in effect. A full hearing is scheduled for later this month, which could determine whether the government’s repatriation plan can proceed.
For now, the court’s decision has provided a temporary reprieve for hundreds of vulnerable children, raising critical questions about how far the U.S. government can go in enforcing immigration crackdowns when minors’ safety and legal protections are at stake.