Emergency ruling halts administration’s plan
On Sunday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued an urgent injunction stopping the Trump administration from deporting a group of Guatemalan minors. The decision followed last-minute filings from lawyers who argued that the removals were being carried out illegally.
Ten minors involved, protections extend to all in federal custody
The case focuses on 10 unaccompanied children, ages 10 to 17, who attorneys said were only hours away from being flown to Guatemala late Saturday. Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan blocked their deportation for 14 days and instructed that the children remain in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). She clarified that the order applies to all Guatemalan minors held by federal authorities, not only the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit.
Government and advocates clash over children’s placement
Attorneys for the administration claimed the children were being returned to parents or guardians rather than forcibly deported. Advocates representing the minors disputed that assertion, noting that many families had not requested reunification. The judge pointed to the conflicting accounts, saying the government’s version did not align with the evidence submitted by the children’s lawyers.
Legal opposition grows as deportation flights appear imminent
Additional lawsuits have been filed in Arizona and Illinois, reflecting mounting nationwide resistance to the administration’s removal efforts. At a border airport in Harlingen, Texas, activity suggested flights were being prepared: buses transporting migrants drove onto the tarmac, security restricted reporters, and planes were positioned for departure while crews conducted final checks as the Washington court issued its ruling.
