A federal judge has blocked the US government from repatriating some Guatemalan minors in its custody, citing concerns the Trump administration may be violating their legal and constitutional protections.
The decision Thursday from Judge Timothy Kelly halts the removals while the court considers a lawsuit that argues that children, who have received neither a final removal order nor permission from the attorney general to voluntarily depart from the United States, must be allowed full immigration proceedings under federal law.
The lawsuit, filed by the National Immigration Law Center, includes 10 Guatemalan children ages 10 to 17, most of whom are in ongoing immigration proceedings. Lawyers argued the children – including an indigenous 10-year-old who had been abused in Guatemala – would face grave risks if returned.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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