HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) – A federal judge has issued an emergency order temporarily preventing the deportation of a group of Guatemalan children who crossed the U.S. border without their families. Following reports that planes were prepared to depart imminently for Guatemala, lawyers representing the minors, aged 10 to 17, filed urgent court papers expressing concerns over potential violations of laws designed to protect unaccompanied migrant children.

The judge in Washington ruled that the children cannot be deported for at least 14 days unless further legal decisions are made. A virtual hearing is scheduled for Sunday afternoon to address this matter. Meanwhile, similar emergency requests have been filed by attorneys in Arizona and Illinois, highlighting the widespread nature of this legal challenge against the government's deportation efforts.

This situation has elicited alarm among immigrant advocates, who contend that the deportations might infringe upon federal protections for children arriving in the U.S. without parents. The ongoing legal battles emphasize the tension between immigration enforcement policies and the legal safeguards established by Congress for vulnerable migrant populations.

On Sunday morning at the airport in Harlingen, there was a palpable sense of urgency. Fed by the anticipation of deportations, buses carrying migrants were seen on the tarmac, while federal agents and law enforcement personnel coordinated activities amidst a backdrop of poised aircraft. Ground crews were busy preparing for potential departures, all occurring during ongoing court proceedings more than a hundred miles away in Washington.

Shaina Aber from the Acacia Center for Justice, a legal advocacy group, reported that attorneys received notifications indicating the U.S. administration had compiled a list of Guatemalan minors slated for deportation. The flights were rumored to be leaving from Harlingen and El Paso, Texas. Aber recounted hearing that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities were still processing the children, seemingly unaware of the judge's court order.

The Trump administration's intentions to deport nearly 700 Guatemalan children, who entered the United States unaccompanied, have been criticized by many advocates and legal experts. A letter from Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon revealed these plans, and the Guatemalan government has expressed its readiness to accept the minors back.

This situation is a component of the Trump administration's expanded immigration enforcement strategy, which includes a larger deployment of immigration officers to various U.S. cities and increased deportation efforts. Attorneys representing the Guatemalan children argue that the U.S. government does not possess the authority to remove the children and that they are being denied due process, which prevents them from seeking asylum or other forms of immigration relief. Many of the minors have active cases in immigration courts, according to the court documents submitted in Washington.

Despite these legal protections, the children, who are supposed to be under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, are reportedly being transferred into ICE custody to facilitate their return to Guatemala, where they face potential abuse or persecution, according to arguments made by the attorneys involved in the case.

Concerns over the treatment and status of unaccompanied minors have led to increased scrutiny of the government’s actions. Advocates have raised alarms about ICE agents interviewing minors in facilities designed to care for refugees and the recent cancellations of immigration court hearings for many of these children.

Migrant children without guardians are typically placed in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement after being encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border. They are often housed in government-supervised shelters or with foster families until they can be released to relatives in the U.S. These minors possess the right to request asylum, juvenile immigration status, or special visas for victims of abuse, reflecting the heightened sensitivities surrounding their treatment.

Guatemala's Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Martínez confirmed that the nation is prepared to accept the repatriation of the minors. The Guatemalan government, led by President Bernardo Arévalo, emphasizes its moral and legal duty to advocate for the children, especially those at risk of aging out of the protection provided by child facilities and being sentenced to adult detention.