Thu Feb 06 18:22:32 UTC 2025: ## Guatemala Agrees to Increased Deportation of Migrants from US

**Guatemala City, Feb 6, 2025** – Guatemala has agreed to a significant increase in the number of migrants deported from the United States, marking the second such agreement reached by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his Central American tour. President Bernardo Arévalo announced that Guatemala will accept a 40% increase in deportation flights, encompassing both Guatemalan citizens and those of other nationalities. The deportees will be returned to their home countries at U.S. expense. This follows a similar, broader agreement reached with El Salvador on Monday, where the country agreed to accept deportees of any nationality, including American citizens and legal residents imprisoned for violent crimes. The legality of deporting American citizens to another country for imprisonment remains unclear, with both former President Trump and Secretary Rubio acknowledging the constitutional questions involved.

This development addresses a key challenge in U.S. immigration enforcement, as not all undocumented individuals can be easily returned to their home countries. The increased capacity of Guatemala to receive and repatriate migrants offers a solution for deportations from countries like Venezuela, where repatriation is often difficult. However, President Arévalo emphasized that the long-term solution lies in fostering economic development in Guatemala to prevent future migration. A high-level Guatemalan delegation will travel to Washington D.C. in the coming weeks to discuss this further.

To bolster border security, Guatemala also announced the formation of a new border force comprising police and soldiers to combat transnational crime. Secretary Rubio’s trip, heavily focused on immigration, has been overshadowed by the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with Rubio issuing waivers to continue funding for counter-narcotics programs in Guatemala. Rubio also held discussions with Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente to address border security, the fentanyl crisis, and illegal immigration. The increased deportations are supported by the U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security.

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