Guatemala Plans to Receive 150 US Unaccompanied Minors Weekly

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced that Guatemala is prepared to receive approximately 150 unaccompanied minors weekly from the United States, following a U.S. federal judge's temporary halt on deporting 10 Guatemalan children. The children, aged 10 to 17, had been placed on planes for deportation but were returned to U.S. custody due to legal challenges arguing that deporting them would violate statutory protections and expose them to potential harm. President Arévalo emphasized that while Guatemala is ready to accept these minors and has coordinated with U.S. authorities, the decision on the number and timing rests with the U.S. government amid ongoing legal disputes. The Guatemalan government has expressed a commitment to acting in the best interests of the children, including efforts to identify relatives and integrate the children into social programs to avoid institutionalization. This situation highlights tensions in U.S. immigration policy under President Trump, who has prioritized increased deportations despite court findings of due process violations. The Guatemalan government also indicated it proposed the idea of repatriating minors to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, aiming to reunify children with families and prevent prolonged stays in detention centers.