Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration's Deportation of Guatemalan Migrant Children

Thu Sep 18 2025 22:38:54 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a significant court ruling, a federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's efforts to deport unaccompanied Guatemalan migrant children, highlighting ongoing tensions in U.S. immigration policy.

In a ruling that underscores the contentious debate surrounding U.S. immigration policy, U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly has granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the immediate deportation of unaccompanied Guatemalan migrant children back to their home country. This decision follows the Trump administration's controversial attempts to return minors living in shelters to Guatemala, despite advocates' concerns over potential abuses these children face. While the order extends legal protections for these children, the court denied similar requests for minors from other nations. The government has until now attempted to frame the deportation efforts as a reunion with parents, which the court found unsubstantiated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Thursday, a significant ruling from a federal court brought a crucial halt to the Trump administration's immediate plans to deport unaccompanied Guatemalan migrant children. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted a preliminary injunction, extending protections for these children amid ongoing legal battles surrounding harsh immigration policies.

The White House's controversial actions came just after Labor Day when officials announced a plan to send unaccompanied minors residing in U.S. shelters back to Guatemala. Despite government claims of reuniting children with their families, Judge Kelly noted in his ruling, there is no evidence before the Court that the parents of these children sought their return. This decision reflects a complex combination of humanitarian concerns and legal responsibilities in the handling of minors crossing borders alone.

Although a temporary restraining order was already in place against the removal of Guatemalan children, Judge Kelly's ruling ensures that these protections remain in effect indefinitely, pending potential appeals from the government. The judge did, however, reject requests by advocacy groups to expand this protection to children from other countries, indicating that similar deportation actions against them would likely be unlawful.

In the lead-up to this ruling, the administration had hurriedly notified shelters to prepare children for transport back to Guatemala, stating that 457 children had been identified, though many of these efforts were curbed after advocacy groups intervened with legal action. This suit argued that many of these minors were fleeing dangerous conditions in their homeland and warranted protections under existing immigration laws.

With this ruling, a broader discussion about the treatment of unaccompanied minors in U.S. custody underscores the ongoing challenges and debates within the Trump administration's aggressive immigration agenda. As different courts see various cases related to immigration, the outcomes significantly impact the lives of vulnerable individuals seeking refuge from violence and hardship.