Court draws a line: Deportation of Guatemalan children halted in US

Hundreds of Guatemalan children who arrived in the United States without their parents will remain in the country for now, after a federal judge intervened to block their sudden deportation.

The late-night ruling came as government-chartered planes prepared to fly the minors back to Central America, sparking a dramatic courtroom showdown over the Labour Day weekend.

Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan issued the temporary order in Washington on Sunday, after being woken in the early hours by urgent filings from children’s lawyers. Advocates warned that deportation flights were imminent and could send youngsters back into unsafe conditions without due legal process.

“Absent action by the courts, all of those children would have been returned to Guatemala, potentially to very dangerous situations,” the judge said.

The intervention halted the removal of hundreds of minors, some already boarded on buses and planes in Texas. Witnesses reported children in government-issued clothing being led towards aircraft in Harlingen and El Paso before the ruling forced a pause.

Lawyers argued that the administration was attempting to circumvent protections guaranteed under US law for unaccompanied migrant children.

Officials in Washington have maintained that the removals are at the request of the Guatemalan government and are intended to reunite children with their families. However, attorneys representing the minors disputed this, citing cases where parents were unaware or confused by sudden notifications.

One 16-year-old girl, living in a New York shelter and excelling in school, said she feared for her life if returned. Other testimonies described experiences of abuse, neglect and violent threats in Guatemala.

Parallel legal actions were filed in other states, including Arizona, where a group representing migrant children highlighted the case of a 12-year-old asylum seeker with a chronic kidney condition requiring dialysis and a transplant. Other plaintiffs included a young boy and his toddler sister, both of whom have no caregivers in Guatemala.

As the legal battle unfolded, families in Guatemala City gathered at a military air base, awaiting possible flights. One man said he had driven through the night after his nephew called to say he was being deported from Texas, despite having lived in the US for two years.

Advocates expressed alarm that Homeland Security officials had recently been interviewing Guatemalan children in shelters, reportedly asking about relatives back home. In recent days, lawyers noticed hearings being abruptly cancelled and lists of minors prepared for removal.

The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment. However, White House official Stephen Miller insisted the removals were in line with Guatemala’s request, accusing the judge of preventing family reunification.

The episode mirrors a similar clash earlier this year, when legal challenges attempted to stop the deportation of Venezuelan migrants but failed to prevent flights from leaving. This time, Judge Sooknanan’s swift intervention ensured the children would remain while the case proceeds.

According to Senator Ron Wyden, nearly 700 Guatemalan minors could ultimately be targeted for removal. The Guatemalan government has indicated it is prepared to receive them, but lawyers argue US authorities must follow established procedures to safeguard the children’s rights and safety.

With inputs from AP/PTI