Federal Judge Blocks Deportation of Unaccompanied Guatemalan Children

The plaintiffs’ lawyers say DHS is violating federal law by moving forward with the removals.

People wait for loved ones from Guatemala deported from the United States, outside La Aurora International Airport, in Guatemala City, on Aug. 31, 2025. Moises Castillo/AP Photo

A federal district judge blocked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Aug. 31 from deporting a group of unaccompanied Guatemalan children.

The temporary restraining order by District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was issued at about 4 a.m. on Aug. 31. The class action is known as L.G.M.L. v. Noem.