Judge Blocks Trump’s Attempt to Deport Guatemalan Children

A US federal judge has temporarily blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to deport dozens of unaccompanied Guatemalan children. District Court Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued the emergency order after advocacy groups filed for an injunction, warning that as many as 600 children could be placed on planes in Texas and sent back to Guatemala. The ruling specifically barred officials from deporting ten children between the ages of 10 and 17 and was later expanded to cover all at-risk minors. The order will remain in place for 14 days while the case is reviewed.

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Reports had emerged that children were already being transported for flights back to Guatemala, but government lawyers confirmed that no planes had left US soil. They argued the operation was not a deportation but part of a reunification plan requested by Guatemalan authorities and the children’s families. However, advocacy groups strongly disputed this, claiming many of the children had ongoing asylum claims and credible fears of persecution if returned.

The emergency court action came as part of growing challenges to President Trump’s expanded deportation agenda, which has intensified since the beginning of his second term. Immigrant rights groups hailed the ruling as a vital step in protecting vulnerable minors.

The case sparked emotional scenes in Guatemala City, where dozens of parents had gathered at a migrant reception center to await the return of their children. Many expressed shock and confusion when news spread that the flights had been stopped. One mother, Xiomara Lima, said her 17-year-old son had called in the middle of the night to tell her he was being sent home, only for the process to be halted hours later. Another parent, Gilberto López, said his nephew had migrated to the US to support the family due to poverty and lack of healthcare.

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Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo defended the planned transfers, describing them as a repatriation effort intended to reunite children with their families. He criticized the US court’s intervention and vowed to keep working with Washington on his pilot program to bring children home.

Advocacy groups, however, accused the Trump administration of attempting to secretly deport minors without due process. Lawyers for the children argued the move violated federal protections for unaccompanied minors and put them at risk of abuse and persecution.

White House advisor Stephen Miller condemned the ruling, claiming the minors wanted to return home. The dispute highlights the broader battle over immigration policy under Trump’s renewed presidency.