A U.S. district judge on Sunday issued a 14-day temporary restraining order stopping the Trump administration from flying unaccompanied Guatemalan children out of the country, after immigrant advocacy groups warned that dozens—and potentially hundreds—were being readied for removal from Texas.
Key Takeaways
- District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan granted a 14-day temporary restraining order (TRO) on Sunday.
- The order initially covered 10 children aged 10–17, then was expanded to all unaccompanied minors reportedly at risk of removal.
- Advocacy groups said up to 600 children could have been placed on flights from Texas.
- Government lawyers said flights were for reunification with family in Guatemala, not deportation.
- Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign told the court all planes were “on the ground,” adding one flight may have taken off but returned.
- Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo criticized the ruling and vowed to push a pilot repatriation program with the U.S.
- Children involved are in U.S. custody while their immigration claims are pending.
Verified Facts
Judge Sparkle Sooknanan’s order came after filings early Sunday from immigrant rights groups seeking emergency relief. The initial TRO barred the transfer of 10 Guatemalan minors, ages 10 to 17, and was later broadened to cover all unaccompanied children alleged to be at imminent risk of removal. The order is set to last 14 days while the court reviews the merits.
During a hastily convened hearing, Judge Sooknanan pressed the government on whether any flights had already departed with children aboard. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign said all planes were still in the United States and “on the ground,” noting one aircraft may have taken off but returned.
Government attorneys argued the flights were not deportations but family reunifications requested by the Guatemalan government and relatives. Advocacy groups disputed that characterization, asserting some families had not consented and that several children had pending cases and expressed credible fears of return. Plaintiffs said the effort would violate federal protections for unaccompanied children.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo criticized the court’s action and said he would keep pursuing a pilot program, proposed to President Trump, aimed at returning children to relatives in Guatemala.
Context & Impact
The ruling lands amid the Trump administration’s renewed push to remove undocumented migrants in the president’s second term. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the administration to resume certain removals to third countries without providing the usual opportunity to present fear-based claims—a shift that advocates say heightens risks for vulnerable groups.
Whether the flights are framed as deportation or repatriation, the legal bar for moving unaccompanied minors is high. Courts have historically scrutinized government actions affecting children in immigration custody, and any program to transfer minors abroad typically intersects with federal child-protection statutes and longstanding settlement obligations.
The TRO pauses the administration’s timetable and could influence U.S.–Guatemala coordination on migration management. It also signals that any large-scale transfers of unaccompanied children will face immediate court review and fact-finding on consent, safety, and due process.
Official Statements
All planes were “on the ground,” and one that may have departed returned.
Drew Ensign, U.S. Department of Justice (court hearing)
Allowing the flights would risk irreparable harm to vulnerable children.
Efrén C. Olivares, National Immigration Law Center
The White House advisor Stephen Miller criticized the pause, saying the minors should be allowed to reunify with parents in Guatemala.
Statement summarized from social media
Unconfirmed
- The exact number of children slated for flights; advocates alleged “around 600,” which the government has not confirmed.
- Whether all families and the Guatemalan government requested reunifications in each case; advocacy groups say not in every instance.
- Details about a plane that may have taken off and returned; the government did not provide flight identifiers.
Bottom Line
The court’s 14-day freeze halts flights that could have rapidly returned unaccompanied Guatemalan children, shifting the focus to whether the government’s plan complies with federal protections and whether families actually consented. Expect further hearings and document production before any large-scale transfers proceed.