Mathias Busekist
They were deported alongside their mothers.
Three American-born children — ages two, four, and seven — were deported alongside their undocumented mothers, reigniting fierce criticism of former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
The deportations have sparked outrage, particularly because one of the children, known as “VML” in court documents, is the subject of a federal case in Louisiana. U.S.
District Judge Terry Doughty has scheduled a May 16 hearing to investigate whether the government violated federal law, which prohibits deporting U.S. citizens without due process. “The government claims the mother consented to her daughter’s deportation, but the court has not verified this,” Doughty wrote.
Despite an emergency custody petition filed by VML’s American father, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) proceeded with the deportation. Civil rights groups condemned the move, highlighting that one of the deported children is battling a rare form of cancer and another mother is pregnant.
The incident underscores the ongoing clash between the judiciary and the Trump administration, which has made fighting illegal immigration a central priority. Trump, currently abroad for Pope Francis’ funeral, defended his policies online, calling for “courageous JUSTICE” and attacking immigration advocates.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Supreme Court warned against the erosion of legal protections, saying the country’s judicial system exists “to prevent lawless regimes, not enable them.”