Judge Blocks Flights to Reunite Guatemalan Children With Parents—Even As They Were Boarding the Planes

Red State ^ | 08/31/2025 | Bob Hoge

[SeekAndFind]

The Trump administration says they were sending illegal alien Guatemalan children back to their home country at the request of their parents and the government of the Central American country. Immigration advocacy groups say the administration was conducting illegal deportation operations in the middle of the night.

Whoever is correct, the planes are grounded for now after a Biden-appointed judge issued a temporary restraining order Sunday—even as kids were already sitting in their seats.

The emergency order by U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan froze a pilot program the administration said would reunite nearly 700 kids with parents or guardians in Guatemala.

By the time the judge intervened, charter buses had already rolled up to planes in Harlingen and El Paso and, in some cases, children were seated on board awaiting departure.

Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign told the court, "These are not removals under the statute. These are repatriations. All of these children have parents or guardians in Guatemala who have requested their return."

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was infuriated by the move, which he says denies the children the opportunity to be reunited with their parents:

It’s actually much worse than even that. These smuggled migrant children were orphaned in America by the Biden Administration. The minors have all self-reported that their parents are back home in Guatemala. But a Democrat judge is refusing to let them reunify with their parents.

BREAKING: Biden appointed U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, who’s from Trinidad and Tobago, just BLOCKED the Trump admin from sending unaccompanied migrant children back to their home country of Guatemala after Guatemala agreed to accept the children.

https://t.co/o3h6e0YsMC— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) August 31, 2025

The judge admitted that it was an extraordinary ruling—but we’re getting used to those lately.

Sooknanan conceded her temporary restraining order, which is set to last 14 days, is "extraordinary" but justified it on the grounds that the government had decided to "execute a plan to remove these children" in the "wee hours" of a holiday weekend.

Miller disagreed:

The government of Guatemala has formally requested their return. And there are tens of thousands more smuggled minors orphaned in America by the Biden Administration that Democrats are refusing to allow back home with their families.— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) August 31, 2025

Cleaning up the mess that Biden made was never going to be easy—his dereliction of duty (or purposeful malfeasance) led to millions of illegal aliens flooding our borders. Now the mainstream press and the Democrats cry foul and shriek “cruelty” at any efforts to rectify the situation, when in reality it was they themselves who created this humanitarian disaster.

The job is made that much harder by the never-ending interference of judges who seem to slap on restraining orders on the administration’s efforts on an almost daily basis. Some of the cases may have merit, and that’s why we have checks and balances, but when a huge number of the decisions coming down from the lower courts seem to go one way only, one can’t help but have questions.

[kiryandil]

Sparkle “Hot Lips” Sooknanan, Biden’s stripper judge.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Military planes are better.

[CatOwner]

Are we going to let this nonsense go unabated for the remainder of Trump’s term, or at least through 2026 before the DEMs repeat 2018?

[Right_Wing_Madman]

Are we going to let this nonsense go unabated for the remainder of Trump’s term

Democrats have been successful at delaying Trump's agenda, but they have failed to stop it. Trump has won 18 straight decisions at the Supreme Court.

[HighSierra5]

Time to drop the hammer on these anti American clowns.

[lightman]

Iran has Mullahs in black robes.

We have Federal Judges in the same garb.

[dadfly]

pure evil.

[citizen]

The Guatemalan gov’t should raise holy hell - loudly.

[ducttape45]

Again, and again, and again, and again, etc, etc, etc.

Another judge gets in the way of Trump policies. WHEN WILL THIS END?!?!?!?!?

[NonValueAdded]

Who were the plaintiffs and how did they have standing.

OK, kids, we’re getting back on the bus and you are going to stay with the judge.

[gildafarrell]

Send them back send them back, send them back, send them back, etc.

[woodpusher]

Are we going to let this nonsense go unabated for the remainder of Trump’s term, or at least through 2026 before the DEMs repeat 2018?

No this nonsense of ignoring constitutionally mandated due process will not go unabated for the remainder of Trump's term. Sooner or later, if their purpose is to get anything done, they will comply with constitutional due process. In the meantime, they can waste a lot of time in court.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Sooknanan looks like a Spooknanan.

[Revel]

If we get enough good republicans in the house and senate then these corrupt judges can be removed.

[dennisw]

Judge Sparkle Sooknanan...... Imbecile fookin foreign judge born in Trinidad Tobago. Where did the Biden crew dredge up these foreigners, these subversive black robe clowns?>>>>
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“On February 21, 2024, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Sooknanan to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.[6] Sooknanan was recommended to the seat by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.”

[dennisw]

Score!

[fastrock]

We need 60 senators who will vote to impeach judges. I don’t see that in the future - so we deed with it.

[BradyLS]

Don’t they remember when Bill Clinton sent armed team to take Elian Gonzalez from his relative’s home to send him back to his dad in Cuba?

Of course they do. The only thing that changed was Trump wanting to send them _all_ back to their parents and legal guardians.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

When a judge makes such a ruling if temporary housing is required the affected should be housed by the judge. Let him reap what he sows.