A federal court in San Diego has commanded the U.S. government to reinstate three families who were deported in recent months, citing that the removals were conducted through "lies, deception and coercion." This ruling relates directly to the Trump administration's 2018 policy that separated approximately 6,000 children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The U.S. District Court, led by Judge Dana Sabraw, found that under a previous legal settlement, the families deported should have retained their permission to stay in the country. Each mother involved had authorization to remain in the United States until 2027 under terms of humanitarian parole. The court further mandated that the federal government reimburse the families for the travel expenses incurred by their forced return.
Among these was a woman deported in July along with her three children, one of whom is a 6-year-old U.S. citizen, to Honduras. This family had been ordered to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at least eleven times over two months, a requirement she reported resulted in her losing employment. The deportations took place even after the woman refused to voluntarily sign documents agreeing to leave the country, contrary to government claims.
In her statement, the woman recounted that ICE personnel visited her home to seek her signature on departure documentation, which she declined. Subsequently, she and her children were taken to a motel, had ankle monitors removed, were detained for three days, and then forcibly removed to Honduras.
The other two families, referred to only by their initials in court records, experienced parallel treatment regarding their deportations.
Judge Sabraw stated clearly that "each of the removals was unlawful," adding that if not for these actions, the families would still be residing in the United States with access to appropriate benefits and resources to which they are entitled. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Sabraw originally ordered the end to family separations in June 2018, shortly after President Trump halted the policy amid widespread criticism.
Lee Gelernt, representing the families as an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, praised the ruling. He highlighted that the Trump administration never admitted to the illegality of the family separation policy and that the government had begun re-deporting these families, effectively reimposing separations. Gelernt emphasized the court’s firm response in not only ordering the families’ return but also requiring the government to bear the financial burden.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice had not issued comments immediately after the ruling.
The initial "zero-tolerance" policy implemented by the Trump administration mandated the criminal prosecution of parents illegally crossing the border, which resulted in their separation from children. The legal settlement secured by the court prohibits such separations until at least 2031, ensuring protections for families going forward.