Trump Administration Accused of Coercing Immigrant Minors in Defiance of Court Injunction

Attorneys file a motion to hold Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in contempt for allegedly violating a court order protecting immigrant children.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 25, 2026, 7:46 AM EST

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Law & Crime

Allegations of Secretive and Coercive Tactics

The 17 page motion for an order to show cause claims that the administration has implemented a secretive process designed to intimidate young migrants out of exercising their statutory rights. According to the filing, CBP officials began circulating a "Processing Advisal" document in late November 2025 at youth shelters run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. This document reportedly warns children that if they seek a hearing before an immigration judge, they will face prolonged detention and their sponsors could be subject to criminal prosecution and arrest. Attorneys argue these threats are intended to scare children into relinquishing the protections afforded to them under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act before they can consult with legal counsel.

Violations of a Federal Court Injunction

The heart of the legal dispute centers on a preliminary injunction issued in September 2025 by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. The court order specifically barred the government from transferring, repatriating, or removing a certified class of Guatemalan children who had not received a final order of removal. Plaintiffs contend that the administration declined to appeal this injunction but is now openly flouting its plain text through these new deportation tactics. The motion documents at least 13 specific instances where children were allegedly targeted under this new policy in direct violation of the judge's mandate.

Reports of Physical Aggression and Intimidation

The filing includes harrowing accounts from children who describe CBP officers using aggressive behavior to secure signatures on voluntary return forms. Allegations include officers shouting, cursing, grabbing, and insulting the minors. In one documented instance, a child claimed that agents threatened him with a dog and a stun gun while refusing his request to speak with his family before signing away his rights. These tactics are characterized in the motion as a campaign of "extreme coercion, threats, and fear" aimed at vulnerable children from noncontiguous countries.