The parents “were never given a choice as to whether their children should be deported with them and were prohibited from contacting their counsel or having meaningful contact with their families to arrange for the care of their children”, the lawsuit claims.

The mothers, pseudonymously named as Rosario and Julia, allege they wanted their children to remain in the US but the families were “illegally deported without even a semblance of due process”.

One of the children, named as five-year-old Romeo, was diagnosed with a “rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer” at age two and had been receiving treatment in the US.

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The Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to NBC News that US children were not being “deported” and denied that the parents were not given a choice regarding the care of their children before being sent to Honduras.

“Rather than separate their families, ICE asked the mothers if they wanted to be removed with their children or if they wanted ICE to place the children with someone safe the parent designates. The parents in this instance made the determination to take their children with them back to Honduras,” McLaughlin said.