Wed Feb 05 22:37:24 UTC 2025: ## Guatemala Agrees to Increased US Deportations Under Trump Administration
**GUATEMALA CITY** – Guatemala has agreed to significantly increase the number of deportation flights it receives from the United States, marking a substantial escalation in the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Following a visit from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo announced a 40% increase in deportation flights, encompassing both Guatemalan citizens and non-citizens deported from the US.
While Guatemala accepted deportation flights under the previous Biden administration (approximately 14 daily), the agreement signifies a major expansion under President Trump, who has prioritized aggressive immigration enforcement. This comes after a record-breaking 66,000 Guatemalans were deported in fiscal year 2024 – surpassing any single year during Trump’s first term.
The agreement includes financial support from the US to assist Guatemala in the repatriation of non-citizens. This is a crucial development as several countries, including Venezuela and Cuba, have refused to cooperate with US deportation efforts. Previous attempts to secure agreements with Caribbean nations also proved unsuccessful.
Secretary Rubio lauded President Arevalo’s cooperation, highlighting the importance of the deal in addressing the US’s immigration challenges. He emphasized the significance of Guatemala’s willingness to accept non-Guatemalan deportees. However, the issue of accepting migrants with criminal records was not addressed in the agreement.
The increased deportations come amidst a broader regional effort by the Trump administration to pressure Central American countries into accepting returned migrants. While El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele offered to jail violent offenders deported from the US, legal concerns surrounding this proposal remain.
The news follows the controversial decision to begin sending undocumented immigrants to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The Trump administration’s intensified immigration policies are unfolding against a backdrop of an estimated 11 million undocumented individuals living in the US.
First Piper 