A federal judge says a 2-year-old American citizen may have been wrongfully deported to Honduras last week, sounding alarms over potential violations of constitutional rights and immigration law.
Judge Terry Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana sharply criticized federal authorities Friday after learning that a toddler, identified in court documents as VML, was removed from the United States without what he described as “meaningful process.”
“There is a strong suspicion that the Government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process,” Doughty wrote in an emergency order.
VML, born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in January 2023, was deported along with her Honduran mother and 11-year-old sister after attending a routine Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check-in in New Orleans. According to a legal filing by Trish Mack, a friend of the family, ICE agents detained the mother and daughters on Tuesday despite being informed of the child’s U.S. citizenship the same day.
“Due process is not optional,” Judge Doughty emphasized, noting that attempts by the girl’s father to obtain temporary custody for a U.S. citizen relative were disregarded by ICE.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the deportation, claiming, “The parent made the decision to take the child with them to Honduras. It is common that parents want to be removed with their children.”
However, immigration attorneys argue that ICE had a legal duty to protect the rights of the U.S. citizen child separately. “They ignored clear legal notice that this was an American citizen,” said immigration lawyer Rachel Winslow. “This is a gross violation.”
According to the court filings, ICE agents warned the father that if he attempted to retrieve his daughter, he too would be detained.
When Doughty attempted to arrange a phone call with the mother Friday, Justice Department lawyers admitted it was “not possible” because the family had already been released into Honduras.
The judge has scheduled a hearing for May 16 to address the apparent due process violations.
This latest controversy comes as President Donald Trump’s second-term immigration crackdown faces mounting legal challenges. Earlier this year, federal authorities admitted mistakenly deporting Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, despite a Supreme Court order mandating his return.
“Every American citizen, regardless of age, is entitled to constitutional protections,” Winslow added. “This is a chilling reminder of what can happen when agencies act without oversight.”
President Trump has not yet commented on the incident.
