US Judge Extends Block on Deportation as Guatemala Faces Quake and Belize Protests

Lead: A U.S. federal judge extended temporary measures blocking the deportation of unaccompanied Guatemalan children, as a light magnitude-3.0 earthquake rattled Jutiapa and Belize lodged a protest over a flag incident at Sarstoon Island on Saturday.

Nut Graf: The ruling offers critical relief for hundreds of migrant minors in U.S. custody, underscoring ongoing legal disputes over child deportations. Simultaneously, the quake, felt in southeastern Guatemala, prompted brief local concern, while Belize’s diplomatic objection highlights regional tensions over territorial sovereignty.

Judge Extends Deportation Block

U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly in Washington, D.C., ruled Saturday to prolong a restraining order preventing the Trump administration from deporting Guatemalan children with active immigration cases until Sept. 16. The decision follows a Labor Day weekend attempt to repatriate 76 unaccompanied minors, halted midflight by emergency court orders. Advocates argued many children face violence and abuse if returned, and the judge sought more time to scrutinize government claims that parents requested repatriation.

Minor Quake Jolts Jutiapa Region

At 02:06 GMT on Saturday, a magnitude-3.0 earthquake occurred 20 km south of Jutiapa, in Guatemala’s Jutiapa department. The U.S. Geological Survey reported no injuries or significant damage, noting the shallow tremor was felt briefly across nearby towns before subsiding without aftershocks.

Belize Protests Sarstoon Flag Incident

Belize’s government issued a formal protest after Guatemalan armed personnel illegally placed a Guatemalan flag on Sarstoon Island-territory Belize considers sovereign-on Sept. 10. High-level talks between defense and foreign affairs ministers resulted in the flag’s removal and a commitment to develop a coordination mechanism to prevent future confrontations along the Sarstoon River. Both nations reaffirmed dialogue as the path to border management.

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