A US judge has temporarily blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to deport dozens of unaccompanied Guatemalan children back to their home country.

District Court Judge Sparkle Sooknanan's order on Sunday was in response to reports that children had been put onto planes and were about to be sent to Guatemala, where lawyers argued they would be at risk of abuse and persecution.

The children arrived in the US alone and are in government custody while their immigration claims are assessed.

Lawyers for the US justice department claimed that the children were not being deported but rather repatriated to reunite with family.

The legal proceedings were initiated early on Sunday when immigrant advocacy groups requested an emergency injunction. They claimed approximately 600 children could be put on planes in Texas and deported.

Judge Sooknanan issued a temporary restraining order against deporting a group of 10 minors and later expanded the order to cover all at-risk unaccompanied children. The injunction will remain in effect for 14 days.

During the hearing, Judge Sooknanan asked Trump administration lawyers for confirmation that no planes had already departed with children onboard. The response indicated that one plane may have taken off but returned.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign stressed that the flights were not for deportation but for family reunification, alleged requests coming from the Guatemalan government and relatives of the children.

However, advocacy groups contested this claim regarding the safety of the reunifications.

In court documents, lawyers representing the children argued that actions by the Trump administration violated federal laws meant to protect children arriving in the US alone. They highlighted that some children had pending immigration cases and credible fears about their safety if returned.

In the dead of night on a holiday weekend, the Trump administration ripped vulnerable, frightened children from their beds and attempted to return them to danger in Guatemala, said Efrén C Olivares from the National Immigration Law Center, reflecting the concern surrounding the case.

White House immigration advisor Stephen Miller criticized the ruling, expressing discontent over the blockage of potential reunifications.

Since beginning his second term, former President Trump has pursued extensive deportation efforts as part of his electoral promises, while recent Supreme Court rulings have further facilitated his administration's deportation processes.