In a setback for US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, a federal judge in Washington issued an emergency order halting the deportation of 10 Guatemalan children who were detained in government shelters, preventing authorities from sending them back to their home country before their legal cases are reviewed.

Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia responded to an urgent request filed by the National Immigration Law Center, affirming that the children (aged between 10 and 16) have legal and constitutional rights that the government failed to respect. She considered the attempted deportation a violation of the “due process” principle, as well as ignoring US laws that provide special protection for unaccompanied minors.

The order halts deportations for 14 days until an emergency hearing next Sunday to examine the legality of the government’s action. Immigration rights advocates fear this case could be a precursor to the deportation of hundreds of other children from Central America, while the Trump administration insists it is coordinating with the Guatemalan government to return over 600 minors.

This ruling comes just two days after another judicial blow to Trump’s policies, when a federal court froze White House plans to expand rapid deportations away from the border, a cornerstone of the president’s effort to tighten immigration control.

Children’s lawyers noted that some minors expressed fear of returning to Guatemala due to threats or conditions of violence and poverty, while their cases remain under review.

Although Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martínez confirmed that his country is “coordinating with Washington for the gradual and organized return of minors,” the US court ruling temporarily disrupts this plan and puts the Trump administration in a new confrontation with the judiciary, in an ongoing battle between the White House and judicial institutions over executive authority in immigration matters.

This development highlights the humanitarian and political dilemma facing the United States: how to balance tightening border controls and deterrence policies with respecting laws and ethical obligations toward children seeking safe refuge.