Los Angeles (EFE).- A United States federal judge suspended on Thursday President Donald Trump administration’s plan to immediately deport hundreds of unaccompanied minors from Guatemala who entered the country and are in the custody of authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Aug. 31, US migration authorities attempted to deport 76 minors who had boarded a plane to Guatemala. However, they were not sent due to a temporary court order protecting them from expulsion until Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Timothy J. Kelly, a federal judge for the District of Columbia, who Trump appointed, issued a preliminary order blocking the deportation of 327 Guatemalan children eligible for reunification with their parents or family, according to court documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kelly harshly criticized the Trump administration, asserting that it acted in bad faith when it tried to deport the minors under the guise of wanting to reunite parents and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There is no evidence before the Court that the parents of these children sought their return,” Kelly wrote. He added that the Trump government’s argument “crumbled like a house of cards.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawyers for the children and adolescents, who are between 10 and 16 years old, argued that the administration violated due process because they have pending cases before migration courts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lawyers also said that the administration ignored the special protections for minors who crossed the border between Mexico and the US alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, migrant minors who enter the US alone generally have the opportunity to appear before a migration judge before being deported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US had 2,011 unaccompanied minors in custody in August, according to data from the Administration for Children and Families. However, the data does not detail their nationalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kelly’s decision is a setback for Trump in his smear campaign against judges who have ruled against his policies and who are generally appointed by Democratic administrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The White House is expected to appeal the order. EFE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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