Guatemala may accept more Foreigners deported According to a report, the new Trump administration is said to have withdrawn from the United States in order to strengthen relations with the US.
Officials who spoke to Reuters said Guatemala was prepared to accept deported citizens of other Central American countries – such as Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti – which have strained relations with the United States and have not accepted deportees in the past.
“There needs to be a regional response,” a Guatemalan official told Reuters. “And we want to be part of the solution.”
Trump is expected to follow through on his campaign promise and begin the largest mass deportation of illegal immigrants in American history, and Guatemala wants to be in the president’s good graces during that process. According to Reuters, officials expect deportations to increase in the fall, saying it will take time for the Trump administration to ramp up operations.
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Guatemalan migrants pictured after arriving at La Aurora Air Base on a deportation flight from the U.S. in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Nov. 8, 2024. (Reuters/Josue Decavele/File Photo)
“We are not ready for it, but we know it is coming,” a second Guatemalan government official told the outlet.
Guatemala currently receives 14 deportation flights per week under President Biden’s administration.
The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump’s team has reportedly contacted other Central and South American countries to assess their willingness to begin deportations from the United States. Several governments, including Mexico and the Bahamas, have said they will not accept foreigners from third countries.
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A migrant speaks with family members as she is processed by Guatemalan Immigration Institute staff after arriving on deportation flights from the U.S. and Mexico in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Jan. 23, 2024. (Reuters/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo)
In 2022 it will be more than 40% illegal immigrants According to a report from the US Department of Homeland Security, people living in the US came from Mexico, accounting for 4.8 million out of a total of 11 million. This was followed by Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which together accounted for over a fifth of the total.
According to Reuters, Guatemala has been proactive in courting the new Trump administration compared to its neighbors El Salvador and Honduras. Members of the Trump transition team have met with Guatemalan officials, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, before he was named secretary of state, along with several staffers at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank who specialize in immigration, border security, drug trafficking and politics towards China.
Guatemala will prioritize Guatemalans in reintegration, the second official said, adding that each country should take responsibility for its citizens but also highlighting a regional pact between Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador that allows freedom of movement.
The hope is that people deported from the U.S. would bring the skills they learned in the states to work in Guatemala’s private sector.
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A police officer stands guard as Guatemalan migrants walk after arriving at La Aurora Air Base on a deportation flight from the U.S. Nov. 8, 2024, in Guatemala City, Guatemala. (Reuters/Josue Decavele/File Photo)
“These are people who have worked in construction, services and various industries, and many speak English. We want to take advantage of that,” the official said.
Officials who spoke to Reuters also noted that further deportations could put pressure on Guatemala’s economy.
transfers or Money sent home by Guatemalan workers in the USA make up about 20% of the country’s GDP.
In 2023, remittances accounted for 24% of El Salvador’s gross domestic product and almost 30% of Honduras’ GDP.
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Officials told Reuters they were not immediately concerned about the economic impact of a decline in remittances, but expressed concerns about Trump’s proposed tariff increases or increased taxes on remittances.
“We don’t have a financial plan yet, there are just too many unknowns,” the second official said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
