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Guatemala could accept more deported foreign nationals from the United States by the new Trump administration in an effort to strengthen ties with the US, the report said.
Officials who spoke to Reuters said Guatemala was willing to accept deported nationals from other Central American countries – such as Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti – that have strained relations with the US and have not accepted deportees in the past.
“There has to be a regional response,” one Guatemalan official told Reuters. “And we want to be part of the solution.”
Trump is expected to follow through on his campaign promise to begin the largest mass deportation of illegal immigrants in American history, and Guatemala wants to curry favor with the president throughout the process. Officials are preparing to increase the number of deportations in the fall, saying it will take time for the Trump administration to step up its operations, according to Reuters.
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Guatemalan migrants are pictured after arriving at La Aurora Air Force Base on a deportation flight from the US, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on November 8, 2024. (Reuters/Josue Decavele/File Photo)
“We’re not ready for it, but we know it’s coming,” said another Guatemalan government official.
Guatemala currently receives 14 deportation flights per week under President Biden’s administration.
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump’s team has reportedly reached out to other Central and South American countries to gauge their appetite for accepting deportations from the U.S. Several governments, including Mexico and the Bahamas, have said they do not want to accept foreign nationals from third countries.
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A migrant woman speaks with family members as she is processed by Guatemalan Immigration Institute staff after arriving on deportation flights from the United States and Mexico, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on January 23, 2024. (Reuters/Cristina Chiquin/file photo)
In 2022, more than 40% of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. come from Mexico, accounting for 4.8 million of the total of 11 million, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It is followed by Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which together account for more than one fifth of the total number.
Guatemala has reportedly been proactive in courting the incoming Trump administration, relative to neighbors El Salvador and Honduras, according to Reuters. Members of Trump’s transition team met with Guatemalan officials, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., before he was named secretary of state, along with several staffers from the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank who specialize in immigration, border security, trade drugs and policy towards China.
Guatemala will prioritize Guatemalans for reintegration, another official said, adding that each country should take responsibility for its own citizens, but also pointing to a regional pact between Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador that allows free movement.
The hope is that US deportees will use the skills they acquired in the states to work in Guatemala’s private sector.
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A police officer stands guard as Guatemalan migrants walk after arriving at La Aurora Air Base on a deportation flight from the US, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on November 8, 2024. (Reuters/Josue Decavele/File Photo)
“These are people who have worked in construction, in the service industry, in various sectors, and many speak English. We want to take advantage of that,” the official said.
Officials who spoke to Reuters also noted that more deportations could put pressure on Guatemala’s economy.
Remittances, or money sent home by Guatemalan workers in the USA they make up about 20% of the country’s GDP.
In 2023, remittances accounted for 24% of El Salvador’s gross domestic product and almost 30% of Honduras’ GDP.
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Officials told Reuters they were not immediately concerned about the economic impact of the drop in remittances, but shared concerns about Trump’s proposed tariff hikes or tax hikes on remittances.
“We don’t have a financial plan yet, there are too many unknowns,” another official said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
