Guatemalan government to take in deported kids from US

(MENAFN) The Guatemalan government announced on Monday that it will begin accepting unaccompanied minors currently residing in the United States, aiming to prevent their placement in detention centers and to facilitate reunification with relatives in Guatemala.

Authorities stated that the government will now take responsibility for returning teenagers and children to Guatemalan territory.

“With the aim of preventing a vulnerable group of adolescents in shelters – many approaching legal adulthood – from being transferred to US detention centers, the Government of Guatemala is reinforcing coordinated actions to support their family reunification in Guatemala, once they have completed due process in the United States,” the statement read.

The decision follows a visit by US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in June, during which both countries signed a bilateral security agreement.
Data from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) shows that in the first half of 2025, 18,350 Guatemalan nationals were repatriated to Guatemala City, a 48% decrease from 35,235 deportees on 295 flights during the same period in 2024.

WOLA also noted a shift in the demographics of deported Guatemalans: most are now long-term US residents rather than recent border crossers.

The new policy involves several government agencies, including the Foreign Ministry, the Office of the Attorney General, the Guatemalan Institute of Migration, and the Secretariat of Social Welfare.

MENAFN02092025000045017281ID1110005825