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WASHINGTON, D.C.: A U.S. federal judge stopped the Trump administration on August 31 from deporting a group of Guatemalan children, some of whom were already on airplanes ready to be sent back. The decision came after lawyers for the children filed an emergency request in the middle of the night.

The urgent case unfolded dramatically, resembling other last-minute legal battles during Donald Trump’s presidency. Around 1 a.m. Eastern Time, the National Immigration Law Center filed an emergency motion to block the deportation of 10 unaccompanied children from Guatemala, ages 10 to 17.

Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., said she was alerted at 2:35 a.m. She quickly issued a 14-day restraining order, preventing the government from removing the children. Later, she extended the order to cover all Guatemalan unaccompanied minors in U.S. custody, which could mean hundreds of children.

Government lawyers confirmed that the children who had been placed on planes were taken off and returned to shelters run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has made immigration crackdowns a top priority, including a push to deport unaccompanied minors. His administration had struck a deal with Guatemala allowing children to be sent back and was preparing to begin deportations over the weekend, officials told Reuters.

By law, children who arrive at the U.S. border without a parent or guardian are considered unaccompanied and placed in shelters until they can be reunited with family or placed in foster care.

During the emergency hearing, Judge Sooknanan pressed the Justice Department to confirm no deportations had already happened. Government lawyer Drew Ensign said none had been completed, though some children were already on planes in Texas. One flight may have briefly taken off before being turned back under the judge’s order.

The children’s lawyers argued that deporting them would break U.S. laws meant to protect minors. They warned that in Guatemala, many could face abuse, neglect, or even torture. One of the plaintiffs was a 10-year-old girl whose mother had died and who had already suffered mistreatment from caretakers.

Trump officials defended the deportation plan, saying parents in Guatemala had requested their children’s return. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller criticized Judge Sooknanan, accusing her of preventing children from reuniting with their families.

Meanwhile, internal emails from the Department of Health and Human Services showed signs of preparation for the deportations, including restrictions on releasing Guatemalan children to U.S. sponsors.

For now, the judge’s order means the children remain in shelters in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York, as the legal battle over their fate continues.