Judge Blocks Trump Administration Deportations of Migrant Children
A federal judge in Arizona temporarily blocked the Trump administration's efforts to deport nearly 70 unaccompanied minors from Honduras and Guatemala on Thursday. The ruling offers temporary reprieve to children who entered the U.S. alone.
Court Ruling and Rationale
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez granted a preliminary injunction preventing the deportation of these children. She stipulated that no child should be repatriated or removed without a valid voluntary departure order or removal order issued by an immigration judge. She criticized the government's rationale, arguing it was “dangerously unclear” whether sending the children back would truly reunite them with their parents.
"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," Márquez wrote.
Concerns Over Reunification Claims
Judge Márquez emphasized the lack of verifiable coordination between parents and governments, both American and Guatemalan, regarding the children’s return. She highlighted a report from Guatemala’s attorney general, which revealed that many families of the 115 adolescents in the U.S. did not request their children’s return. Some expressed annoyance at being contacted.
Previous Restraining Order and Similar Case
Prior to the injunction, Márquez issued a temporary restraining order over Labor Day weekend, preventing the removal of 57 children from Guatemala and 12 from Honduras. A similar case unfolded in Washington D.C., where a federal judge also blocked the Trump administration's plans to deport unaccompanied Guatemalan children, deeming their parental reunification claims unconvincing.
Lawsuit Details and Government Response
The lawsuit was filed by the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project on behalf of the children, aged 3 to 17. The lawsuit seeks to ensure that the children have the opportunity to present their cases with legal counsel and are placed in the least restrictive environment that is in their best interest. The Trump administration argued that it was trying to reunite the children with their families at the request of the Guatemalan government.
