Government halted from expelling Guatemalan kids, unaccompanied, by US judge's decree

In a significant development over the weekend, a federal judge in Washington issued a temporary restraining order halting the deportation of 10 unaccompanied migrant children from Guatemala, aged between 10 and 17. The order, issued on a holiday weekend, was a response to a last-minute court challenge to Trump-era deportation efforts.

The judge, Sparkle Sooknanan, was awakened at 2.35am and alerted to the case. The emergency motion was filed with the US District Court in Washington, DC, by the National Immigration Law Center, a pro-immigrant advocacy group.

The children, who were already boarded onto planes, were part of potentially hundreds more migrant children in government shelters who could be affected by the order. The order halts the removal of the children for 14 days.

The plans for deportations this weekend were first reported by CNN on Friday. The administration had struck an agreement with Guatemala that would allow unaccompanied children to be sent back to the country. However, the judge's decision to issue the order was a response to an emergency appeal made by the children's lawyers at 1am local time on August 31.

Sooknanan expanded the temporary restraining order to include any Guatemalan unaccompanied minors in the custody of the US Department of Health and Human Services. On Sunday evening, the judge stated that the government had not met the deadline set by the order and ordered the government to explain why.

President Donald Trump, a Republican, launched an immigration crackdown after returning to the White House in January, including an effort to track down and deport unaccompanied migrant children. However, the details of the government officials responsible for the planned deportations remain undisclosed in the search results.

The scene was reminiscent of other last-minute court challenges to Trump-era deportation efforts. The National Immigration Law Center has vowed to continue fighting for the rights of these children, ensuring they receive a fair and just hearing. The case is ongoing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.