Last night, hours after @latimes published on Central America's fears that Trump WH could deport coronavirus to the vulnerable region -> lat.ms/2UMhLFt Guatemala confirmed 1st case: 29yo deported Thurs from Mesa, AZ, on a flight with 40 others, including 10 kids 1/
@latimes It was the 2nd deportation flight that day-1st brought 85 Guatemalans, including 11 kids, from Brownsville, Texas. The young man displayed no symptoms when he landed, per @migracionGuate but did 2 days later under monitoring by Health Ministry, and tested positive for COVID-19 2/
The 1st known confirmation of coronavirus among those deported from US, now global epicenter of the pandemic, raises questions about @DHSgov stated protocol to prevent this exact thing - and WH clear determination to continue removals despite risk of exporting virus 3/
In fact, Guatemala-Central American country of roughly 18m, dependent on US for economic and security assistance-wks earlier had become 1st nation to halt deportation flights from US amid concerns about coronavirus spread lat.ms/3awC0h1 4/
This dealt blow to Trump efforts to effectively close border long before #coronavirus -under controversial agreement with Guatemala, US has sent some 1k Hondurans and Salvadorans seeking protection here to Guatemala instead, blocking them from US asylum lat.ms/3dyz5X0 5/
This isn’t 1st incident of deportees from US arriving with coronavirus symptoms. ICE said “will not be allowed to board if they have a fever” - but last wk 2 Guatemalan teens (ultimately tested negative for COVID-19) arrived w/high temps. @DHSgov didn’t respond to ?s on how 6/
The deportation flights pose risk for stranded Americans, too - last week alone, “ICE Air” brought home more than 460 U.S. citizens from Honduras and El Salvador after dropping off deportees 7/
Amy Cohen, child psychiatrist who's lent expertise to lawsuits against Trump immigration policies, stuck in Honduras on work trip & suffering with Lupus, was due to take deportation flight back Sun-but told return cancelled after deportees fled mandated quarantine upon arrival 8/
DHS says Trump WH “committed to helping slow the spread of the virus.” Guatemala says “If there’s a risk, it would be the U.S.’ responsibility to contain it from going outside its borders.” Former acting ICE director says “They could easily suspend flights if they wanted to.” 9/
Those deported from US amid coronavirus & their families, facing debt from paying coyotes for journey north and devastation to Guatemala's economy, feel trapped, & even worse off now: “If God has permitted this virus, there is nowhere to go.” Read @latimes lat.ms/2QT9Rc3
