Chicago – September 01, 2025
A federal judge temporarily stopped the U.S. government from sending unaccompanied Guatemalan children back to their home country on Sunday. This came after reports that some of these children were being prepared for removal in the early morning hours.
Lawyers received a notice about the removals early Sunday, leading to a rush to help the children. They say the kids were woken up in the middle of the night and that returning them to Guatemala could put them in danger.
CNN reported that the Trump administration had planned to send hundreds of Guatemalan children back to their country, working with the Guatemalan government. The removals were already happening when, around 2:36 a.m., Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan, who was appointed by President Biden, was informed that the children were being processed for repatriation.
During a court hearing on Sunday, Judge Sooknanan asked the U.S. Department of Justice to provide proof that the children’s parents or legal guardians had asked for their return. DOJ lawyer Drew Ensign said that was the case, but other lawyers argued it wasn’t true. The judge gave the government until Friday to provide more information on the issue. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs will file a motion to block the removals by Tuesday.
Judge Sooknanan ordered the government not to send any of the children back for two weeks, including those involved in this case and other unaccompanied Guatemalan minors in U.S. custody. Some children had already been placed on planes, but they are expected to return to U.S. custody.
