In brief
A federal judge in Arizona has temporarily halted the immediate deportation of 69 children from Guatemala and Honduras, citing insufficient coordination between the U.S. and their parents abroad. The ruling extends previous protections for children held in shelters. The lawsuit filed against the Trump administration calls for legal representation for these minors and emphasizes their best interests regarding relocation.
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 steps the government had taken to prepare to deport 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 the 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 and that they must be ready in a matter of hours. Many children got as far as boarding planes in Texas on the morning of Aug. 31 and were set to depart to Guatemala. The Arizona lawsuit is asking for the government to provide the children the chance to present their cases and have access to legal counsel. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pushed back, asserting it is trying to reunite the children with their families, which it deems in the kids’ best interest and at the behest of the Guatemalan government.
