People wear face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, in Guatemala City, on March 16, 2020. (Photo: Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images)
Apr 15, 2020
Days after the Trump administration threatened Central American countries with visa sanctions if they refuse to accept nationals who are deported from the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic, the Guatemalan health minister said an estimated 75% of the people on one deportation flight from the U.S. later tested positive for the virus.
Health Minister Hugo Monroy's claim raised fears that the U.S. is willfully sending sick people back to the countries they left, creating conditions for larger outbreaks in countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
The U.S., which is now the epicenter of the global pandemic with more than 600,000 cases, resumed deportations on Monday after a week-long pause due to fears that ill migrants might spread the coronavirus to others on deportation flights. The Trump administration sent two flights with a total of 182 people to Guatemala Monday.
Before the flights resumed, the Guatemalan government reported that at least three nationals deported from the U.S. later tested positive for the highly infectious disease. A total of 180 cases have been reported in the country, and at least five people have died. Monroy said he could not give a specific number of positive cases on the recent flight for security reasons.
"If Monroy is correct, it could mean dozens of Guatemala's cases are tied to U.S. deportations," reported ABC News of the health minister's claim.
Before resuming deportations, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Central American countries that if they attempt to bar deportees from entering, the Department of Homeland Security would no longer process visas from the countries.
The U.S. government's insistence that deportations continue amid an international pandemic makes the Trump administration "a global health threat," policy analyst Jesse Franzblau tweeted.
\u201cUS deportations are spreading #Coronavirus cases. Guatemala confirmed 75% of people on one flight tested positive for #COVID. ICE is dangerously deporting people from detention centers where COVID is spreading, and spreading the deadly virus overseas. \nhttps://t.co/qm18rKWrlz\u201d— Jesse Franzblau (@Jesse Franzblau) 1586964690
"The United States government is actively and knowingly spreading the virus to Central America through deportation," tweeted Christy Thornton, a Latin American studies professor at Johns Hopkins University.
As Common Dreams reported last week, immigrant rights advocates have demanded in recent weeks that the Trump administration release as many detained immigrants as possible, including all children, to prevent coronavirus outbreaks in the country's detention centers.
At least 89 immigrants in detention have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, as well as 21 ICE employees. As Common Dreams reported last week, a federal judge ordered the agency to release immigrants who are at heightened risk for exposure.
Immigrants and refugees the administration forcibly deports, however, are unlikely to know whether they've been exposed to the virus and if they could spread it to others while en route to their home countries once they arrive.
"Unless deportees have access to testing prior to boarding the plane, there is no guarantee that they are not at risk of spreading the virus to others on the plane or to their families once they arrive home," Rachel Schmidtke, Latin America advocate for Refugees International, told ABC News. "Continuing to deport sick people who lack access to healthcare, a financial safety net, or even basic necessities like potable water once they arrive in Guatemala is irresponsible and places unnecessary risks on some of the most vulnerable."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just hours away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Days after the Trump administration threatened Central American countries with visa sanctions if they refuse to accept nationals who are deported from the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic, the Guatemalan health minister said an estimated 75% of the people on one deportation flight from the U.S. later tested positive for the virus.
Health Minister Hugo Monroy's claim raised fears that the U.S. is willfully sending sick people back to the countries they left, creating conditions for larger outbreaks in countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
The U.S., which is now the epicenter of the global pandemic with more than 600,000 cases, resumed deportations on Monday after a week-long pause due to fears that ill migrants might spread the coronavirus to others on deportation flights. The Trump administration sent two flights with a total of 182 people to Guatemala Monday.
Before the flights resumed, the Guatemalan government reported that at least three nationals deported from the U.S. later tested positive for the highly infectious disease. A total of 180 cases have been reported in the country, and at least five people have died. Monroy said he could not give a specific number of positive cases on the recent flight for security reasons.
"If Monroy is correct, it could mean dozens of Guatemala's cases are tied to U.S. deportations," reported ABC News of the health minister's claim.
Before resuming deportations, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Central American countries that if they attempt to bar deportees from entering, the Department of Homeland Security would no longer process visas from the countries.
The U.S. government's insistence that deportations continue amid an international pandemic makes the Trump administration "a global health threat," policy analyst Jesse Franzblau tweeted.
\u201cUS deportations are spreading #Coronavirus cases. Guatemala confirmed 75% of people on one flight tested positive for #COVID. ICE is dangerously deporting people from detention centers where COVID is spreading, and spreading the deadly virus overseas. \nhttps://t.co/qm18rKWrlz\u201d— Jesse Franzblau (@Jesse Franzblau) 1586964690
"The United States government is actively and knowingly spreading the virus to Central America through deportation," tweeted Christy Thornton, a Latin American studies professor at Johns Hopkins University.
As Common Dreams reported last week, immigrant rights advocates have demanded in recent weeks that the Trump administration release as many detained immigrants as possible, including all children, to prevent coronavirus outbreaks in the country's detention centers.
At least 89 immigrants in detention have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, as well as 21 ICE employees. As Common Dreams reported last week, a federal judge ordered the agency to release immigrants who are at heightened risk for exposure.
Immigrants and refugees the administration forcibly deports, however, are unlikely to know whether they've been exposed to the virus and if they could spread it to others while en route to their home countries once they arrive.
"Unless deportees have access to testing prior to boarding the plane, there is no guarantee that they are not at risk of spreading the virus to others on the plane or to their families once they arrive home," Rachel Schmidtke, Latin America advocate for Refugees International, told ABC News. "Continuing to deport sick people who lack access to healthcare, a financial safety net, or even basic necessities like potable water once they arrive in Guatemala is irresponsible and places unnecessary risks on some of the most vulnerable."
Days after the Trump administration threatened Central American countries with visa sanctions if they refuse to accept nationals who are deported from the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic, the Guatemalan health minister said an estimated 75% of the people on one deportation flight from the U.S. later tested positive for the virus.
Health Minister Hugo Monroy's claim raised fears that the U.S. is willfully sending sick people back to the countries they left, creating conditions for larger outbreaks in countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
The U.S., which is now the epicenter of the global pandemic with more than 600,000 cases, resumed deportations on Monday after a week-long pause due to fears that ill migrants might spread the coronavirus to others on deportation flights. The Trump administration sent two flights with a total of 182 people to Guatemala Monday.
Before the flights resumed, the Guatemalan government reported that at least three nationals deported from the U.S. later tested positive for the highly infectious disease. A total of 180 cases have been reported in the country, and at least five people have died. Monroy said he could not give a specific number of positive cases on the recent flight for security reasons.
"If Monroy is correct, it could mean dozens of Guatemala's cases are tied to U.S. deportations," reported ABC News of the health minister's claim.
Before resuming deportations, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Central American countries that if they attempt to bar deportees from entering, the Department of Homeland Security would no longer process visas from the countries.
The U.S. government's insistence that deportations continue amid an international pandemic makes the Trump administration "a global health threat," policy analyst Jesse Franzblau tweeted.
\u201cUS deportations are spreading #Coronavirus cases. Guatemala confirmed 75% of people on one flight tested positive for #COVID. ICE is dangerously deporting people from detention centers where COVID is spreading, and spreading the deadly virus overseas. \nhttps://t.co/qm18rKWrlz\u201d— Jesse Franzblau (@Jesse Franzblau) 1586964690
"The United States government is actively and knowingly spreading the virus to Central America through deportation," tweeted Christy Thornton, a Latin American studies professor at Johns Hopkins University.
As Common Dreams reported last week, immigrant rights advocates have demanded in recent weeks that the Trump administration release as many detained immigrants as possible, including all children, to prevent coronavirus outbreaks in the country's detention centers.
At least 89 immigrants in detention have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, as well as 21 ICE employees. As Common Dreams reported last week, a federal judge ordered the agency to release immigrants who are at heightened risk for exposure.
Immigrants and refugees the administration forcibly deports, however, are unlikely to know whether they've been exposed to the virus and if they could spread it to others while en route to their home countries once they arrive.
"Unless deportees have access to testing prior to boarding the plane, there is no guarantee that they are not at risk of spreading the virus to others on the plane or to their families once they arrive home," Rachel Schmidtke, Latin America advocate for Refugees International, told ABC News. "Continuing to deport sick people who lack access to healthcare, a financial safety net, or even basic necessities like potable water once they arrive in Guatemala is irresponsible and places unnecessary risks on some of the most vulnerable."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.