In brief
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez has issued a preliminary injunction to stop the deportation of several dozen children from Central America. The ruling highlights discrepancies in the government’s claims about family reunification and ensures that the children, currently in shelters or foster care, receive legal support. The lawsuit, spearheaded by the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, seeks to protect the rights of these children amidst expedited deportation efforts by the Trump administration.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A federal judge in Arizona on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from immediately deporting dozens of Guatemalan and Honduran children who came to the U.S. alone.
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez in Tucson granted a preliminary injunction, citing concerns about the government’s steps taken to prepare for deporting the children.
“The foundation of Defendants’ argument for their authority to transport Plaintiffs out of the United States is that Defendants are reuniting Plaintiff Children with parents abroad, but counsel could not identify a single instance of coordination between a parent and any government—American or Guatemalan,” she wrote.
The ruling extends the protection for children living in shelters or foster care after Márquez issued a temporary restraining order over Labor Day weekend. The order was meant to keep the children from being removed until at least Sept. 26.
The lawsuit was filed by the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project on behalf of 57 Guatemalan children and another 12 from Honduras between the ages of 3 and 17.
The White House did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment.
This lawsuit and a related one in Washington were filed in response to the Trump administration’s work to quickly deport Guatemalan migrant children.
Last month, the administration notified shelters that they were going to take the children back to Guatemala, often not offering enough time to prepare. Many children even boarded planes in Texas, set to depart for Guatemala, but were halted by the court’s decision.
The Arizona lawsuit requests that the government allow the children to present their cases and have access to legal counsel, as well as ensuring they are placed in the least restrictive setting that is in their best interest.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pushed back, stating that it is working to reunite the children with their families, which they argue is in the interest of the children and at the behest of the Guatemalan government.
