Guatemala is willing to welcome citizens of other Central American countries deported from the United States, three sources familiar with the matter said, as the country seeks to build a positive relationship with the new Trump administration.
“There has to be a regional response,” a Guatemalan official who requested anonymity told Reuters. “And we want to be part of the solution.”
The United States has struggled to expel its nationals from countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti due to strained relations. This could pose a challenge for the president-elect Donald Trumpwho swore to expel registration numbers immigrants living illegally in the United States.
His team has already contacted the governments of several countries to test their willingness to expel third countries.
Many American neighbors, including Mexico and the Bahamas have declared that they do not want to receive deportees from third countries.
In 2022, more than 40% of immigrants living illegally in the United States were from Mexico, or 4.8 million out of 11 million total, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Next come Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which together account for more than a fifth of the total.
Guatemala has been particularly proactive in preparing for a second Trump term compared to its neighbors El Salvador and Honduras, meeting with members of Trump’s transition team Sen. Marco Rubio before he be appointed Secretary of State and the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, on migration and mass. deportations, border security, drug trafficking and China.
The three countries, along with the Nicaraguan government which has the most openly hostile relations with the United States, are facing a moment of reckoning, both regarding Trump’s demand to accept the expulsions and due to a possible reduction in remittances from immigrants to the United States, which is a problem. major contributor to their economy.
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The meetings between Guatemala and the United States show that the center-left government of President Bernard Arevalo, an ally of the Biden administration, wants to start on good terms with the Trump administration, despite ties between the conservative opposition of Guatemala and many people in the president-elect’s orbit. Trump’s inauguration will take place on January 20.
El Salvador, whose populist President Nayib Bukele already has close ties with the Trump camp, has taken a less proactive approach. But a source familiar with discussions between Salvadoran officials and the transition team said the Trump administration plans smooth cooperation with El Salvador on immigration.
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The Guatemalan official noted that the country was already receiving 14 deportation flights per week under President Joe Biden and was preparing for an increase.
Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Antonio Garcia told Reuters the country was receiving 10 deportation flights a week. Reuters was unable to confirm the number of deportation flights to other Central American countries.
Guatemala expects a significant increase in expulsions in the fall, saying it will take time to accelerate them.
“We are not ready, but we know it is coming,” said a second Guatemalan government official.
Guatemala would prioritize the reintegration of Guatemalans, the second official said, adding that each country should take responsibility for its citizens, but also pointing to a regional pact between Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador that allows for the reintegration of Guatemalans. free movement.
Guatemala’s vision for the deportees is to put their skills developed in the United States to work in the private sector, the person said.
“These are people who have worked in construction, in the service sector, in various sectors, and many speak English. We want to exploit that.
In late November, Guatemala’s security minister and migration director traveled to Washington, according to the three sources familiar with the matter, and met with Rubio and other key Republicans, where discussions focused on drug trafficking , migration and expulsions.
They also met with the Heritage Foundation, whose employees made up much of the staff of the first Trump administration.
As they discussed immigration and deportations, the foundation mainly emphasized that it wanted Guatemala to maintain its allegiance to U.S. ally Taiwan over China, the sources said.
Officials know that more evictions could strain Guatemala’s economy if remittances decline and the cost of reintegrating those expelled rises.
About 20 percent of Guatemala’s GDP comes from remittances – money sent by the diaspora to the United States.
In 2023, remittances represented 24 percent of El Salvador’s gross domestic product and almost 30 percent of Honduras’ GDP.
Guatemalan officials said they were not worried about the immediate economic effects of a drop in remittances, but expressed concern about the reduction in remittances associated with Trump’s proposed tariff increase or the taxation of remittances.
“We don’t have a financial plan yet, there are just too many unknowns,” the second official said.
Guatemalan officials are analyzing surveys from the U.N. International Organization for Migration showing which parts of Guatemala most migrants have departed from, hoping to prepare those communities for their eventual return, two officials said.
The Salvadoran government said it would announce its plans once the Trump administration acts.
“We are working on facts and this is still just speculation,” Vice President Felix Ulloa told Reuters.
Bukele, like Trump, presents himself as a political disruptor and has ties to many people close to Trump.
Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Garcia said the country’s ambassador to the United States had met informally with the Trump transition team and Guatemala to coordinate a response.
Garcia stressed that the country has always welcomed deportees, but noted that at least 40% of migrants are trying to migrate back to the United States. He added that it was important that both countries work to improve the living conditions that drive migration, such as gang violence, unemployment and poverty.
“Honduras is already experiencing the phenomenon of mass expulsions and maybe the difference will go from 10 flights to 20 or 30 more,” Garcia said. “We will have to sit down with the Americans and agree on the logistics and time slots in the return centers to do this in a framework of dignity and respect.”