US Judges Block Deportation of Guatemalan Children and Venezuelans

Washington – Federal judges have issued two rulings against the Trump administration’s immigration measures, halting the deportation of Guatemalan children and blocking efforts to strip legal protections from Venezuelans living in the United States. The decisions represent a significant legal setback for the government’s hardline immigration approach.

In one case, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, ordered the government to stop removing Guatemalan unaccompanied minors who still have pending immigration cases. The ruling followed reports that officials had attempted to deport 76 children in late August, moving them from shelters at night to airports, with some even placed on planes bound for Guatemala. The administration initially argued that parents had requested their return, but later withdrew this claim. Guatemalan authorities confirmed many parents could not be contacted and that several opposed the deportations. Judge Kelly sharply criticized the government’s shifting explanations, saying the policy’s justification had “crumbled like a house of cards.”

Separately, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s request to reinstate its decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 600,000 Venezuelans. The appeals court said revoking TPS could cause severe consequences, including family separation, wrongful removals, and loss of livelihoods for those legally residing in the U.S. under the program.

Together, the rulings highlight growing judicial resistance to the administration’s immigration agenda, particularly its attempts to accelerate removals and narrow humanitarian protections. Immigration rights advocates welcomed the decisions, calling them vital for protecting vulnerable children and families facing instability in their home countries.

The Trump administration has indicated it may challenge the rulings at the Supreme Court, setting the stage for another high-stakes legal battle over the future of U.S. immigration policy.