Washington DC - A federal judge on Thursday barred the Trump administration from deporting unaccompanied Guatemalan children while their immigration cases play out.

The Trump administration in late August sought to deport 76 Guatemalan children in government shelters and foster care, sparking an emergency lawsuit.

"The children were roused from their beds in the middle of the night and driven to an airport, where some were loaded onto planes," Judge Timothy Kelly of the US District Court for the District of Columbia wrote in a 43-page ruling.

Another judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the deportations.

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In seeking to justify the removals, the government's legal counsel argued that the parents of the children had requested their return.

"But that explanation crumbled like a house of cards about a week later. There is no evidence before the Court that the parents of these children sought their return," Kelly determined.

The Trump-appointed judge cited a report that states that the Guatemalan government had received a list of 609 adolescents in the US who could be sent to the country. In trying to trace the families, Guatemalan authorities faced significant setbacks.

"During this process, we discovered that the families were surprised, some even annoyed, that we had contacted them, because many believed that their children were part of a process that aimed to protect them and legalize their immigration status in the United States, and therefore did not expect them to be returned to Guatemala," the report states. "Other calls went unanswered; some of the phone lines were disconnected, and others indicated that we had the wrong number."

"And none of those that were located had asked for their children to come back to Guatemala," Kelly wrote in granting plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction.

Groups representing the Guatemalan children have hailed the court's decision.

Mishan Wroe, directing attorney with the National Center for Youth Law, said in a statement, "The children we represent, who fled to the US for safety, have suffered tremendously as a result of the callous and unlawful actions of our government."

"Our clients were terrified – many had tear-soaked faces and some were visibly shaking with fear," Wroe continued.

"Knowing they can remain in the US brings them one step closer to what every child deserves – safety and dignity."