Overview

• U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued an early Sunday temporary restraining order and then broadened it to block removals of unaccompanied Guatemalan children who lack final deportation orders.
• The administration had identified roughly 600–700 children for return, with ORR telling shelters to prepare minors for discharge within two hours and flights readied from Harlingen and El Paso, Texas.
• Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign described the moves as repatriations to reunify children with relatives at Guatemala’s request, a contention advocates dispute under the TVPRA, the INA and due process.
• Following the order, planes remained on the ground or returned, children were deplaned, and they were sent back to Office of Refugee Resettlement custody, according to statements in court and status reports.
• A hearing is set to determine whether to extend relief beyond 14 days as parallel lawsuits proceed, and Guatemalan officials say the country is prepared to receive minors.