US Court Temporarily Halts Deportation of Guatemalan Children

A federal judge in the United States issued a temporary order yesterday, Sunday, halting the deportation of dozens of Guatemalan children to their home country.

The children had already boarded the planes in preparation for their return, but the court decided to suspend the deportation process until the case is reviewed.

The decision came after an urgent request from the "National Immigration Law Center," which warned that the children could face serious danger if deported to Guatemala.

The center confirmed that the US government "ignored the special protections" designated for unaccompanied children, which violates the laws that protect these children.

Judge Sparkle Souknan from the federal court in Washington issued an order halting the deportation of the children for 14 days, clearly adding: "You cannot deport any child while the case is ongoing."

The decision includes all Guatemalan children held by the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the United States.

Despite the planes being ready to take off from Texas, the judge decided that the government could not carry out the deportation.

The court noted that the government returned the children to shelters after having taken them out in preparation for deportation.

The children's lawyers confirmed that some minors do not wish to return to Guatemala, and that US law prohibits their deportation before ensuring their safety.

Meanwhile, government lawyer Drew Insane defended the decision, pointing out that the process was carried out at the request of the Guatemalan government, which had requested the return of more than 600 minors.

This judicial decision comes at a sensitive time, as President Trump's administration faces sharp criticism regarding its policies toward irregular immigration.

In the same context, Trump's advisor Stephen Miller blamed President Joe Biden's administration for the presence of these children in the United States, describing them as "orphans in America."

On the other hand, the children's lawyers considered the government's actions "illegal and reckless," asserting that the children face real dangers if deported to Guatemala.

The case represents a setback for the Trump administration's policies regarding irregular immigration;

Just days ago, another judge froze the "expedited removal" program away from the borders, which was considered one of the cornerstones of the White House's strategy to combat illegal immigration.