Government temporarily prohibited from returning Guatemalan children to authorities, at present

The Trump administration's plans to deport nearly 700 Guatemalan children who arrived in the U.S. without their parents or guardians have been halted by a federal judge.

The youngsters were scheduled to be deported on flights departing from the Texas cities of Harlingen and El Paso, according to reports. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked these flights, citing potential danger for the children if they were returned to Guatemala.

The U.S. authority responsible for these children is the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This agency is tasked with the care and placement of these children.

Reports suggest that Homeland Security Investigations agents were interviewing children, particularly Guatemalans, in facilities of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Lawyers for some of the minors argue that these interviews do not reunite the children with their parents and that they still need to follow a legal process.

Advocates have also reported that immigration court hearings for some young clients were being canceled. It's unclear whether any planes actually departed, as Government lawyer Drew Ensign told the Washington judge that one plane might have taken off but then returned.

The judge's ruling applies to Guatemalan minors who arrived in the U.S. without parents or guardians. The Guatemalan government has said it's ready to take in the children, but absent action by the courts, all of the children would have been returned to Guatemala, potentially to very dangerous situations, according to the judge.

The U.S. government insists they are reuniting Guatemalan children with their parents or guardians who sought their return. However, the legal fight over the deportations is expected to continue over the coming weeks, ensuring that hundreds of Guatemalan children will stay in the U.S. for the time being.

Government temporarily prohibited from returning Guatemalan children to authorities, at present