Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo revealed in an exclusive interview with NBC News that his country and the United States do not have a specific timeline for when Guatemala will start receiving non-Guatemalan nationals who are deported by the Trump administration. Arevalo and Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed that Guatemala would increase deportation flights from the U.S. by 40% and accept third-country nationals returning to their home countries. Despite this agreement, Arevalo emphasized that Guatemala does not expect a large number of people from other countries and that the focus will primarily be on Guatemalans and Central Americans.
The agreement between the U.S. and Guatemala is different from the “Safe Third Country” agreement signed in 2019, which allowed third-country nationals to be deported to Guatemala and apply for asylum. Arevalo stated that the new agreement is not transactional and that Guatemala’s main interest is in receiving all Guatemalans who are returned to the country. The Trump administration, which has promised a significant deportation effort, considers this agreement a win and has also granted a waiver to continue foreign aid programs in Guatemala aimed at combating drug trafficking.
More than 1,400 immigrants have been returned to Guatemala from the U.S. within the past three weeks, causing shock to many who had not been back to Guatemala in years. Arevalo acknowledged potential challenges with the repatriation of long-term immigrants like Andres Sanchez Gomez, who had been in the U.S. for over eight years. Despite these challenges, Guatemala is prepared to support the return of individuals like Gomez and ensure a smooth reintegration process.
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