Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Deportation of Guatemalan Children

A federal judge has temporarily block the Trump administration from deporting Guatemalan children. The judge on Sunday wrote an emergency decision to halt removals for 14 days while a hearing is established. The White House’s decision to crack down on immigration has drawn a lot of criticism from politicians and rights activists.

U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan said in her ruling that “given the urgent circumstances,” an emergency halt was necessary “to maintain the status quo until a hearing can be set.” She said that the plaintiffs had completed the four requirements for preliminary relief and officially granted their request for a temporary restraining order.

The judgment says very clearly that the government “shall not remove any of the individual Plaintiffs from the United States for 14 days absent further Order of the Court.” On August 31, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., there will be a hearing.

The decision came after Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote a letter to the administration about preparations to deport about 700 Guatemalan children who had come to the U.S. without their parents. Wyden wrote to Angie Salazar, the acting director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, saying that the action might alienate children from their families and legal support networks, putting them back in unsafe situations.