A Sri Lankan family embraced by their rural Queensland community before being removed by immigration officials is facing separation.
The Federal Court has prevented the federal government deporting two members of the Tamil family, who are fighting to remain in Australia while being detained in a Melbourne immigration centre.
But there's no guarantee the rest of the family won't be forcibly removed.
Federal Court Justice Bernard Murphy on Monday granted an urgent injunction prohibiting immigration authorities from deporting Priya and her three-year-old Australian-born daughter.
But Priya's husband Nadesalingam and their one-year-old daughter Tharunicaa could still be deported since the court injunction doesn't include them.
Priya and Nadesalingam came to Australia separately by boat in 2012 and 2013 and settled in Biloela, in central Queensland, before having their two daughters.
Australian Border Force officials removed the family from their home during a dawn raid on March 5.
The Biloela community and supporters have rallied around the family, but hopes they would return home were dashed on Thursday when the Federal Circuit Court dismissed their appeal.
The family has 21 days to appeal over the ruling and had started the process of doing so when they were issued with deportation notices on Friday.
An immigration department spokesperson said the family has "consistently been found not to meet Australia's protection obligations."
