Guatemala prepared to receive deported minors from the US, president says

Arevalo told reporters in Guatemala City that his government had been working with US authorities on the issue. “But the decision to send them, the number, and the pace is one that rests with the American government, and as you can see, there’s currently a legal dispute,” he said.

Guatemalan migrants deported from the United States look out from a bus after arriving in Guatemala City, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (AP Photo)

Lawyers representing the children, aged between 10 and 17, argued in court that deporting them would be a “clear violation of the unambiguous protections that Congress has provided them as vulnerable children.” They also warned the minors could face risks and abuse if returned to Guatemala.

District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan’s order halts deportations for 14 days while the case continues. The ruling could affect hundreds of unaccompanied Guatemalan minors held in US custody after crossing the southern border.

Trump, who began his second term in January, has pledged to expand deportations. Courts, however, have ruled that some of his administration’s fast-tracked removals breach constitutional rights to due process.

Many of the children crossed into the US without parents or guardians, often hoping to reunite with relatives already living there. By law, they are entitled to greater protection while their asylum or immigration cases are reviewed.

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