A Biden-appointed federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from launching a plan to repatriate hundreds of Guatemalan minors, citing concerns over its legality and timing. The emergency order issued by U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan halts the administration’s attempt to fly out hundreds of children over Labor Day weekend, following a legal challenge by immigrant advocacy groups who argued that the action represents a mass deportation. By the time the judge intervened, some charter buses had already arrived at the airports, with children seated aboard awaiting departure.
The Justice Department claimed the move is lawful, asserting that the children are being repatriated to Guatemala, where their parents or guardians have requested their return. However, advocacy groups rejected this stance. Efrén Olivares of the National Immigration Law Center called the administration’s plan a