A federal judge in Louisiana raised concerns about the deportation of a 2-year-old U.S. citizen, V.M.L., to Honduras with her mother, questioning the legality and constitutionality of the action. Despite the father filing an emergency petition to prevent her deportation, the child was sent abroad without meaningful legal process, prompting a hearing set for May 16. The government argued that the mother's wish to have the child accompany her justified the deportation, but the judge was skeptical of this rationale. This incident is part of broader legal challenges facing the Trump administration's deportation policies, including previous wrongful deportations to El Salvador. The father's claim that officials cut short his call to provide legal assistance highlights potential violations of due process rights for the child.

Judge Terry A. Doughty expressed strong suspicions that the deportation of the U.S. citizen child, V.M.L., was conducted without legal justification and set a court hearing to investigate the matter further.

The child's father filed an emergency petition to stop the deportation, arguing that his daughter, being a U.S. citizen, could not be legally deported, but the child was still deported with her mother.

The Trump administration's justification for the deportation was that the mother wanted the child to accompany her, but the judge questioned the validity of the mother's consent under the circumstances described by the father.

The case of V.M.L. is part of a series of legal challenges against the Trump administration's deportation practices, which have faced multiple blocks from federal judges across the country.

The incident follows other controversial deportations, such as the wrongful deportation of a Maryland man to El Salvador, highlighting ongoing issues with the administration's immigration enforcement policies.

The father attempted to provide legal support to the mother during a brief phone conversation, but claims that officials interrupted the call, raising concerns about the violation of due process rights for the child.

Judge Doughty's attempt to contact the mother to verify her consent and custodial rights was hindered by the fact that the deportation had already been executed, with the mother and children released in Honduras.