Judge Blocks Deportation of Guatemalan Children
A federal judge has intervened in the Trump administration’s plan to deport numerous unaccompanied Guatemalan children back to their country. This decision was made on Sunday, as reported by CBS News.
US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued a temporary restraining order for 14 days, halting the deportation of these children who didn’t have deportation orders. The ruling came after legal representatives argued that the administration was unlawfully bypassing protections established for immigrant minors.
During the proceedings, the judge expedited the hearing upon discovering that the children were already onboard an aircraft. An attorney from the Justice Department, Drew Ensign, stated that the plane had been prepared to leave, although it was confirmed that everyone remained on US soil. In a related incident, a plane that had taken off earlier was forced to return, allowing a child to disembark and return to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The administration contended that the Guatemalan government and relatives had requested a family reunion, leading them to label the action as “repatriation” rather than formal deportation. Ensign argued that the Department of Health and Human Services has the authority to connect unaccompanied children with their overseas parents when it’s deemed appropriate.
However, attorneys for the children challenged this perspective. Neha Desai from the National Youth Law Centre stated, “This is illegal and very inhumane.”
According to the Human Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, unaccompanied minors from countries outside of Mexico must meet with immigration judges and apply for legal protection before any deportation can occur. Judge Sooknanan referred to her ruling as “extraordinary,” yet felt it was warranted due to the government’s attempts to expedite deportations during holiday weekends.
