U.S. Judge Halts Plan to Send Guatemalan Kids Back Home
A recent attempt by the U.S. government to send Guatemalan children, who arrived unaccompanied in the U.S., back to their home country was stopped in its tracks by a U.S. judge. The children, who are currently in governmental custody, were on the cusp of being flown back to Guatemala. However, concerns about the risk of abuse and persecution they may face upon return sparked legal intervention.
The Argument Over the Children's Return
The Guatemalan government and representatives from the U.S. legal department have stated that the children are not being deported. Rather, the plan is to reunite them with their families back home. Guatemala's President Bernardo Arévalo, despite criticizing the ruling, vowed to continue efforts of bringing the children home via a proposed pilot program.
Meanwhile, parents anxiously awaited their children at a migrant reception center in Guatemala City. The news of the halted plan left many in uncertainty about when their children will return. One mother revealed that her 17-year-old son had informed her of being sent back to Guatemala. Now, she is unsure of when he will return.
Also among those waiting was a man who had journeyed from his rural home, only to be told his nephew would not be arriving. The nephew had originally left for the U.S. to assist his family, as they struggled with poverty and health issues.
Legal Proceedings and the Temporary Restraining Order
The legal turmoil began when groups advocating for immigrants requested an emergency injunction, fearing about 600 children might be deported from Texas. The judge issued a temporary restraining order that prohibited a group of 10 migrant children, aged 10 to 17, from being sent to Guatemala.
After a hurriedly organized hearing, the judge extended the order to include all unaccompanied children at risk of deportation. This order will remain in effect for two weeks. During the hearing, the judge sought confirmation that no planes carrying the children had already departed.
A high-ranking official from the legal department assured that all planes were still in the U.S. He revealed that one plane may have flown but had returned. The official reiterated that the flights were not for deportation but to reunite the children with their families in Guatemala. He also stated that the Guatemalan government and the children's relatives had requested the reunifications - a claim that advocacy groups disputed in some cases.
Violation of Federal Laws and the Court's Intervention
Lawyers for the children argued that the action violated federal laws designed to protect children who arrive unaccompanied in the U.S. They stated that some of the children had ongoing cases before immigration judges and had voiced credible fears about being returned.
One advocate said the U.S. government had removed vulnerable children from their beds in the middle of the night, attempting to send them back to dangerous situations in Guatemala. He expressed relief that the court had intervened before hundreds of children could suffer irreparable harm.
Criticism and Policy Changes
An immigration advisor from the White House criticized the judge for blocking the flights. He claimed that all the minors had reported their parents were in Guatemala, and accused the judge of preventing their reunion.
The current U.S. government, since the onset of its second term, has undertaken extensive efforts to remove undocumented migrants, a popular campaign promise. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the government to resume deportations of migrants to countries other than their homeland without giving them the opportunity to argue the risks they might face.
