Injunction on Deportation of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children
On Thursday, Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, shared his thoughts on the Fox News show “Ingraham Angle.” He noted that the injunction currently preventing the deportation of unaccompanied immigrant children is based on “rather thin ice,” adding that many of these children will soon be reuniting with their families.
This past Sunday, Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, appointed by Biden, issued a temporary restraining order for 14 days, halting the return of unaccompanied Guatemalan children to their home country. Laura Ingraham sought legal insights from Turley regarding this order, particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s stance against broad national injunctions. “It appears to contradict current trends,” he remarked, referencing the Supreme Court’s recent decisions against district courts that impose wide-ranging injunctions unless a national class action lawsuit is established. He emphasized the scrutiny surrounding the issue, suggesting that placing an injunction on nearly all of these children might not hold up, as many are in the process of reuniting with their parents.
“A lot of these kids come across the border alone and are eventually sent back, with their parents being contacted,” Turley observed. “So, the situation for the district court seems quite precarious. There might be some procedural delays, but this isn’t your typical deportation case where a minor would have a clear connection to their parents.”
Earlier on Sunday, Judge Sooknanan had also issued a restraining order stopping the deportation of 10 immigrant children, aged 10 to 17, after requests from attorneys. Reports state that, despite the order, Justice Department lawyers clarified that they would not officially deport these minors but would repatriate them and facilitate reunification with their families.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that lower courts have overstepped their authority when blocking Trump’s policies through nationwide injunctions.
