This afternoon, the Trump Misadministration is considering imposing significant consequences on the Central America nation of Guatemala over their rejection of the “safe third country” agreement, including possibly imposing a racist travel ban on Guatemalans from entering the USA akin to the bigoted Muslim Travel Ban, unless the nation takes significant steps to curb migration northwards from undocumented immigrants.
The Trump administration is actively investigating imposing a travel ban against Guatemala unless the Central American nation takes significant steps to curb illegal migration northwards.
In a move reminiscent of the pressure campaign President Trump launched against Mexico over immigration, the travel ban is the most explosive option of three that the administration says its considering against the Central American nation, according to White House and other U.S. sources familiar with the plans. Trump charged Guatemala with backing out on an immigration deal with the United States.
"If Guatemala doesn't take significant action to help protect our borders, than we will, of course, look at all manner of solutions to the serious crisis we face," a White House official told NPR, "whether it's a travel ban, significant actions on remittances and/or tariffs."
The White House is considering imposing a travel ban on people from Guatemala entering the U.S. in hopes of pressuring the Central American country to help curb illegal immigration, NPR reported Thursday.
President Donald Trump spent the past two days railing against Guatemala and threatening retribution even as the acting head of the Department of Homeland Security praised the Central American nation for what he said was cooperation to tighten immigration security.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday at the White House, Trump accused Guatemala of breaking a deal to enter into a "safe third country" agreement — even though the country's government has said it never agreed to the arrangement — and accused its leaders of using a high-court ruling that blocked the move as a convenient excuse.
An editorial in the Los Angeles Times by Cecilia Menjívar and M. Gabriela Torres explains why Guatemala cannot serve as a “safe third country:
Guatemala is far from a safe haven. Violent crime, institutional corruption and domestic abuse are epidemic. The country has the world’s third-highest rate of femicide — and those who kill women usually get away with it.
[...]
Guatemala’s troubles stem from its 30-year civil war, which essentially devastated the country’s civic institutions. A long history of U.S. military, economic, and political intervention in Guatemala and the region contributed to the problems.
During the civil war, indigenous Mayan peoples were massacred by the military and entire communities were destroyed. When the conflict ended, the country dissolved into lawlessness. The Guatemalan government retreated, leaving a void of authority that was quickly filled by organized crime groups, both large and small.
These days, more than 70 gangs, or clicas, control much of the country’s territory, and they generate their livelihood through extortion, bribery, murder and rape. In fact, “post-conflict” Guatemala is far more violent than at any time during its 30-year armed conflict.
Criminal organizations have been able to gain such control in part because they have compromised numerous government officials and state institutions. Political parties and public officials receive significant funding from the crime groups. Yet this is a place that the U.S. asserts is safe for those seeking refuge.
The fact that the Trump Misadministration is possibly considering the imposition of a travel ban on Guatemalans from entering the US is a sure sign that it wants to keep on pushing its cruelly racist and xenophobic war on immigrants, whether documented or undocumented.