A U.S. federal judge has stopped the government from sending planes full of Guatemalan children out of the country.
Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan made an emergency order on August 31, 2025 after learning that flights carrying unaccompanied minors (children traveling without parents) were about to leave. Some planes were already on the runway and had to turn back.
The judge said the sudden deportations were unfair and against the law because the children were not given the chance to speak to lawyers or go through the full process. She also criticized the government for trying to do this late at night, during a holiday weekend, which made it harder for lawyers to respond in time.
Reports say that in just one airport in Texas, about 76 children were almost deported but were stopped because of the judge’s order. The ruling could protect not just those children, but hundreds more who were in shelters or waiting in custody.
For now, the children will stay in the United States under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is the agency that usually looks after minors until their immigration cases are heard.
This case highlights the growing conflict between the Trump administration’s tougher deportation push and the courts, which are stepping in to protect the rights of immigrants—especially children.
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Stories like this remind us how fast immigration decisions can change lives. Children were minutes away from being sent out of the U.S.—until a judge stepped in. But not everyone is so lucky.
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Tags:
#Immigration
# Deportation
# Guatemalan Children
# Sparkle L. Sooknanan
# U.S. Federal Judge
# Immigration Flights
# Unaccompanied Minors
# ICE
# Immigration Policy
# Breaking News
