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The United States has repatriated a historic 61,680 Guatemalans in 2024, the Guatemalan Migration Institute announced following the arrival of the final batch of deportation flights in Guatemala City. This record reflects a significant surge in the number of deportations, highlighting the continued intensity of migration issues facing both nations.
Four planes from Texas landed at an air force base in the Guatemalan capital on Friday, bringing with them a large group of deportees. AFP journalists reported seeing around 100 individuals step off one of the aircraft, many of whom were women traveling with their small children, underscoring the deeply personal and often tragic nature of these deportations.
The surge in deportations from the U.S. comes just before Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the presidency in January 2025, a shift that is likely to bring a renewed focus on mass deportations. Trump has made no secret of his intention to pursue aggressive deportation policies, which are expected to intensify as his second term begins.
Four planes from Texas landed at an air force base in the Guatemalan capital on Friday, bringing with them a large group of deportees. AFP journalists reported seeing around 100 individuals step off one of the aircraft, many of whom were women traveling with their small children, underscoring the deeply personal and often tragic nature of these deportations.
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Guatemala’s government estimates there are 2.7 million Guatemalans living in the United States, but that only 400,000 of them have documents to legally stay and work.
A total of 508 planes carrying 61,680 Guatemalan deportees arrived from the United States in 2024, according to officials.
In 2023, a total 55,302 Guatemalans were sent back, higher than the previous record registered in 2019 of 54,599.
Thousands of Guatemalans irregularly enter the United States each year to escape violence and widespread poverty at home.
Their remittances to families back home are often a vital financial lifeline. Guatemala’s central bank estimates that a record of nearly $21 billion was sent back in 2024 — equivalent to 19 percent of the country’s GDP.
