The State Department (Minex) announced that 16 Guatemalan migrants, including three unaccompanied minors, were intercepted by US authorities in Laredo, Texas, while traveling through the North American country, stressing that it is taking appropriate follow-up measures to ensure their safe return .
The State Department explained that through the Guatemalan consulate in the city of Del Río, Texas, it is providing assistance and protection to the 16 migrants located during two operations.
In this sense, he mentioned that the consular mission ensures follow-up care so that adults have a safe return and, in the case of unaccompanied children and young people, timely family reunification is possible.
TWO OPERATIONS
The Minex highlighted that on September 5, a group of 20 people of different nationalities, including seven Guatemalans, including two unaccompanied minors, was intercepted on Interstate 35 in the city of Laredo, Texas.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the migrants were transported without the necessary documents to move on US soil.
Separately, on September 6, border authorities intercepted a truck in Laredo itself carrying 17 people, including nine Guatemalans, including an unaccompanied minor, according to Minex.
In both cases, the migrants were taken to a border station where officials from the Guatemalan consulate in Del Río checked the migrants’ health and ensured that their rights were not violated, according to the State Department.
30,000 MIGRANTS RETURNED IN THE YEAR
According to the Guatemalan Migration Institute, a total of 30,223 Guatemalan migrants were repatriated by air from the United States from January 1 to August 24.
According to immigration officials, the majority are men, as 20,298 have returned to the country after being captured in the United States, while a total of 6,927 have returned women. The IGM also highlighted that 2,869 boys, girls and adolescents who traveled to the country accompanied by a guardian have returned to the country, while 129 unaccompanied minors were reunited in 2023.
Immigration data also shows that March saw the highest number of migrants return, as 4,756 nationals then returned to Guatemala after beginning their journey to the North American country.
