Guatemala Says It Can Receive Hundreds Of Unaccompanied Children From The U.S. After Judge Halts Deportations On Tarmac

Guatemala said it's able to receive some 150 unaccompanied children from the U.S. every week after a judge halted the deportation of 10 children from the country as a deportation plane was about to take off.

"But the decision to send them, the number, and the pace is one that rests with the American government, and as you can see, there's currently a legal dispute," said Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo de Leon.

The Guardian noted that lawyers for the children had argued in court that the deportations would be a "clear violation of the unambiguous protections that Congress has provided them as vulnerable children." They added that they could face dangers and abuse if they returned to the country.

The order halted the deportations for 14 days while the case is pending and covers hundreds of minors under U.S. custody since crossing the southern border unlawfully. All of them crossed without their parents and intended to stay with family members already in the country.