Washington DC - A federal judge on Sunday ordered an emergency halt to a plan by President Donald Trump and his administration to deport nearly 700 unaccompanied Guatemalan children.

According to Politico, District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, issued her order shortly after 4 AM on Sunday in response to a lawsuit from immigrant advocacy groups that argued Trump's plans were illegal.

"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," Judge Sooknanan said during a hearing.

More than 600 unaccompanied Guatemalan children, ranging from ages 10 to 17 years old, recently arrived in the US and are currently being held at the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement.

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The Trump administration has quickly moved to send the children back home without notice or a chance to contest their deportation in what they call a "first-of-its-kind pilot program" in cooperation with the Guatemalan government.

During the hearing on Sunday, Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign argued that these are not "removals," as all the children "have parents or guardians in Guatemala who have requested their return."

Attorneys for the children argued that many do not want to return, and they all have a basic legal right to present their case before an immigration judge, which is currently being denied to them by the Trump administration.

Judge Sooknanan's order bars the Trump administration from removing any of the unaccompanied Guatemalan minors who aren't subject to final orders of removal for 14 days.