Seven children, ages 3–15, flew from Miami to Guatemala to reunite with fathers deported amid intensified U.S. immigration enforcement. The Guatemalan-Maya Center arranged the trip and accompanied the youngsters, who face emotional upheaval and the challenge of adjusting to life in poor rural communities. Advocates warn older youths may need to work because schooling in Guatemala carries costs, and critics say current enforcement harms children and families.
Alone at the Airport: Seven Children Fly From Miami To Reunite With Fathers Deported To Guatemala
Osvaldo (R) caregiver of six-year-old US citizen Andy (L) hugs him as the boy prepares to fly to Guatemala to reunite with his recently deported father (CHANDAN KHANNA)(CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/AFP)
At Miami International Airport one recent day, six-year-old Andy waited nervously to board a flight to Guatemala City. This was not a holiday visit: he and six other children were being sent to reunite with fathers who had been deported under the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement.
Children Separated By Enforcement
The group included seven children, ages 3 to 15. Three were U.S. citizens; the others were born in Guatemala but raised in Florida. Many of them were traveling to places they had never seen or could barely remember.
Andy, born in the United States, had lived with his father, Adiner, in Florida until November. One day, when Adiner went to pick him up from school, immigration authorities detained him because he lacked legal status. "I keep thinking about my brother, about why they nabbed him. And I also worry about the child," said Osvaldo, Andy's uncle, who escorted him to the airport but did not board the plane.
Nonprofit Steps In
The flight was organized by the Guatemalan-Maya Center, a Miami-based nonprofit that serves "uprooted children and families." Mariana Blanco, the center's director of operations, and two volunteers accompanied the children, checking documents and making sure they had essentials for the trip.
Blanco pointed out Franklin, 3, and his 6-year-old brother Garibaldi — both U.S. citizens. The younger boy wore a Spider-Man hoodie and carried a dinosaur backpack, but showed clear anxiety. Like several others in the group, they were being sent to live with a deported father because their mother works long hours and fears possible detention herself.
Voices and Concerns
Volunteer Diego Serrato criticized the administration's approach, accusing it of racial bias and saying it was "trampling on children's rights." "It's sad to see worry and fear on their little faces instead of the smiles they should have," Serrato said.
Other children in the group included 11-year-old Mariela, who was traveling to live with her mother because her father feared arrest; 11-year-old Alexis, who had to stay briefly with an aunt he had never met after his father was detained; and 13-year-old Enrique, who was about to see his mother for the first time in eight years after his father was placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Challenges Ahead In Guatemala
Blanco warned that the children — all of Mayan descent — will have to adapt to life in Guatemala, where many relatives live in poor rural communities. She added that older children may be forced to work because secondary education in Guatemala often carries fees and related costs their families cannot afford.
As the group moved toward customs, Andy paused, hugged his uncle tightly, then rejoined the other children. The scene underscored the emotional toll of enforcement policies that separate families and send young children on uncertain journeys to countries they barely know.
Note: The trip and quotes were documented by the Guatemalan-Maya Center and volunteers helping the children. The story illustrates broader tensions around immigration enforcement in U.S. cities with large immigrant communities, including Miami.
