Guatemala Prepares to Receive Minors Deported From the United States

• Guatemala Ready to Receive Deported Minors
• Judge Suspends Child Deportation
• Trump Tightens Immigration Measures

According to USA TODAY, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said his country is prepared to receive about 150 unaccompanied minors per week from the United States.

The announcement came a day after a federal judge in New York halted the deportation of 10 Guatemalan children who had already been placed on planes.

According to the administration of President Donald Trump, the children were returned to shelters under the supervision of the Office of Refugee Resettlement following the court order.

Arévalo explained that his government has been in communication with Washington to coordinate the reception, although he clarified that the final decision rests with U.S. authorities.

Legal Dispute Over Child Deportations

Guatemala prepared to receive deported minors from the US, president says https://t.co/bp5QPMvvHE

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 1, 2025

The Guatemalan president stressed that the measure is unfolding amid ongoing litigation in the United States.

“But the decision to send them, the number, and the pace rests with the U.S. government, and as you can see, there is currently a legal dispute,” Arévalo said at a press conference in Guatemala City.

The lawyers for the 10 children, aged between 10 and 17, argued that the deportations would constitute a “clear violation of the unequivocal protections” that Congress granted to vulnerable minors.

They also argued that the deported children would be at risk of abuse and violence if they were returned immediately to Guatemala.

Guatemala Prepared to Receive Deported Minors and Humanitarian Challenges

District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan issued an order suspending the children’s deportation for 14 days while the case proceeds.

The decision could potentially affect hundreds of unaccompanied Guatemalan minors currently in U.S. custody.

This ruling adds to others handed down by courts blocking accelerated deportation measures pushed by the White House.

Judges have ruled that some of those initiatives violate the constitutional right to due process.

Migrant Minors and Legal Rights in the U.S.

Arévalo says Guatemala can receive 150 unaccompanied minors weekly under U.S. custody. https://t.co/Fe70DNVCrM

— CNN en Español (@CNNEE) September 1, 2025

The 10 children temporarily protected by the court order had crossed the U.S. southern border without parents or guardians.

In most cases, they were seeking to reunite with family members already residing in the United States.

Immigration law establishes that unaccompanied minors are entitled to additional protections while their asylum or other immigration cases are processed.

These protections include access to legal representation and the prohibition against the children’s deportation without a thorough evaluation of their situation.

Arévalo Calls for International Support Amid Child Deportations

President Bernardo Arévalo noted that the challenge of receiving dozens of deported minors each week requires the support of international organizations.

He explained that his administration is in talks with United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations to ensure protection for the children.

The president emphasized that Guatemala needs additional resources to strengthen shelters, reintegration programs, and social services for minors.

Arévalo stressed that his government’s priority is to ensure that authorities always respect the rights of children upon their return to the country.