Judge keeps block on Trump push to deport Guatemalan unaccompanied children

2 hours ago 3

US national justice rebukes the Trump administration’s claims that the minors’ parents wanted them deported.

Published On 18 Sep 2025

A United States justice has ordered the medication of President Donald Trump to refrain from deporting Guatemalan unaccompanied migrant children with progressive migration cases portion a ineligible situation plays out.

Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee based successful Washington, DC, kept successful spot connected Thursday an earlier judicial artifact connected the policy, sharply criticising the administration’s unproven assertion that the children’s parents wanted them deported.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

Trump’s medication attempted to deport 76 Guatemalan minors being held successful US custody successful a astonishment determination successful the aboriginal greeting connected August 31, sparking a suit and exigency proceeding that temporarily halted the move.

Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign initially said that the children’s parents requested they beryllium returned home, but the section aboriginal rescinded that claim.

The reversal came aft Reuters published an interior study by a Guatemalan lawyer wide showing that astir parents of the astir 600 Guatemalan children successful US custody could not beryllium contacted. Of those contacted, galore did not privation their children returned to Guatemala, the study said.

In a 43-page opinion, Kelly said the Trump administration’s mentation “crumbled similar a location of cards” successful airy of the Guatemalan authorities report.

“There is nary grounds earlier the Court that the parents of these children sought their return,” Kelly wrote.

The federal justice blocked the accelerated deportation of Guatemalan unaccompanied children who person not received a last removal bid oregon support from the US lawyer wide to depart portion their cases stay active.

In the ruling, the justice said the children were unexpectedly taken from their structure beds successful the mediate of the night, driven to the airdrome and, successful immoderate cases, enactment connected planes, leaving them disquieted and confused.

At 1 structure successful McAllen, Texas, a young miss was truthful frightened that she vomited, Kelly wrote, citing grounds submitted successful the case.

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security, said the ruling would forestall children from reuniting with their parents.

“Now these children volition person to spell to shelters,” McLaughlin said, calling it “disgraceful and immoral”.

Migrant children who get astatine US borders without a genitor oregon guardian are classified arsenic unaccompanied and sent to national government-run shelters until they tin beryllium placed with a household subordinate oregon foster home, a process outlined successful national law.

A Guatemalan mother, whose 16-year-old lad could beryllium taxable to the Trump medication deportation effort, told Reuters that her lad would similar to stay successful California adjacent though she misses him.

“This is what helium wanted,” she said during an interrogation earlier this period connected the outskirts of Guatemala City.

The mother, who spoke to Reuters connected information of anonymity, works 15 hours a time astatine a edifice and makes conscionable capable wealth to screen rent and food, she said.

Read Entire Article