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. https://t.co/o3h6e0YsMC

— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) August 31, 2025