Judge blocks Trump administration from deporting group of minors

 A U.S. judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration on Sunday from deporting a group of unaccompanied Guatemalan children who had crossed the border without family members.

Attorneys representing the 10 Guatemalan minors, ages 10 to 17, said in a court filing from Saturday night that the migrants were set to be deported on planes.

Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan in Washington said the deportations could not take place for at least 14 days.

The Associated Press reported that the judge ordered the migrants to be taken off the planes and sent back to the Office of Refugee Resettlement facilities for the time being. 

"I have the government attempting to remove minor children from the country in the wee hours of the morning on a holiday weekend, which is surprising, but here we are," Sooknanan said at a virtual hearing on Sunday. "I have conflicting narratives from both sides here on whether what is happening here is an attempt to reunite these children with their parents or just return these children to Guatemala where they face harm."