Judge Voices Concern After US Citizen Toddler Deported to Honduras
A federal judge raised serious concerns on Friday after a two-year-old U.S. citizen was deported to Honduras with her undocumented mother, despite ongoing legal efforts to keep the child in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana has scheduled a hearing for May 16 to review the deportation of the child, identified as V.M.L. in court filings.
The toddler, born in New Orleans in 2023, was detained earlier this week alongside her mother and sister during a routine check-in at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office.
Despite the girl’s father informing authorities that his daughter was a U.S. citizen and requesting intervention to stop the deportation, immigration officials went ahead with their actions.
A handwritten Spanish note, reportedly from the mother, was cited as evidence that she wanted her daughter to accompany her to Honduras. However, Judge Doughty questioned whether officials properly verified the mother’s intentions and reviewed the child’s custodial status.
Efforts by the court to speak directly with the mother on Friday were unsuccessful.
Government attorneys later acknowledged that the mother and daughter had already been released in Honduras, leading the judge to suggest that the deportation may have occurred “without any meaningful process.”
The incident represents a rare public critique from Judge Doughty, a Trump-appointed judge often known for rulings sympathetic to conservative causes.
His reaction brings renewed attention to broader concerns over due process violations tied to immigration enforcement practices.
Neither the Department of Justice nor the Department of Homeland Security has issued public comments regarding the case.
Attorneys representing the child’s father and legal guardian have pledged to continue efforts to bring her safely back to the United States.
Although V.M.L. is legally entitled to reenter the U.S. as a citizen, the case has sparked serious concerns about how American citizen children are treated in immigration proceedings.
