Jeff Abbott writes in the El Paso Times of the trauma of the military deportation flights as Guatemalan nationals are forcibly removed from the United States.
It was a somber — and for some degrading — return to their politically troubled and economically deprived homeland.
The fourth C-17 military transport deportation flight, which departed Thursday from Fort Bliss, landed in Guatemala City. On board were 80 Guatemalan nationals rapidly removed by the Trump administration.
President Trump has stated that his administration is only deporting criminals. But those onboard denied that they were violent criminals and had been in the U.S. only a short time.
The use of military equipment made many uncomfortable.
“I don’t feel that it was right that they brought us a plane like that,” a 34-year-old from Guatemala City, who declined to give her name, commented while standing in the reception center on Thursday. “We didn’t steal. We didn’t kill anyone to have them do that to us.”
Guatemalan immigration authorities told reporters that 56 men, 20 women and four minors accompanied by a family member were on the flight.
After arriving in Guatemala, those aboard the deportation flight passed through the doors of the USAID-funded deportee reception center in Guatemala City. The colorful murals and warm brick walls inside contrast the somber tone of the migrants arriving on the deportation flight.
One can only wonder about the reception centres now that USAID funding has been drastically curtailed by the US president.
You can read the full piece, with links and photos, here, Migrants Describe Journey As Military Deportation Flights Continue.
Jeff Abbott continues to report on the deportations to Guatemala and is well worth following on social media to understand more about them.
Categories: Accompaniment, Criminalisation, Guatemala, Human Rights, Indigenous peoples, Migration, Poverty, Violence
Guatemala Solidarity Network 
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