Early Wednesday at Miami International Airport, eight children from three South Florida families lined up at the departure gate for a flight to Guatemala City, headed to reunite with relatives after their parents were deported or chose to leave the country. For three of them, it was a first time on a plane. For others, it meant a final goodbye to the only country they have ever known, in what advocates say is one more sign of a quiet reshaping of the Guatemalan‑Maya community in South Florida.
Local nonprofit steps in
The Guatemalan‑Maya Center, a Lake Worth Beach nonprofit that offers immigration, education and family services, has become the go‑to group for families trying to keep children and parents connected across borders. Staff and volunteers there pull together travel documents, buy plane tickets and find chaperones so kids can reach relatives waiting abroad. According to the Guatemalan‑Maya Center, the organization coordinates the logistics of travel and runs programs to support families who are facing separation.
At the airport
On Wednesday’s nearly three‑hour flight to Guatemala City, the group of eight children traveled to meet relatives, including parents and extended family. Three of the children are U.S. citizens, and several had never flown before, details reported by the Miami Herald. Volunteers came armed with stuffed animals and coloring books, checked and rechecked paperwork and walked the children through the American Airlines check‑in process.
Goodbyes and volunteers
Lindsay McElroy, an organizer with the Guatemalan‑Maya Center, told the Miami Herald that “it’s heartbreaking that the children are getting exiled from the only country they love,” describing parents who fear detention and children who spent the week saying goodbye to teachers and friends. Audra Obando, a nurse who volunteered as a chaperone, texted reporters that “our future lies in every child and these children deserve so much more than what our current policies are offering them,” as reported by the Herald. Photos and accounts from the scene described kids dragging small suitcases, one child in Spider‑Man shoes and a toddler cradled in an aunt’s arms while airline staff inspected travel documents.
Broader trend
Advocates say what unfolded in Miami is part of a much wider wave of immigration enforcement that has left thousands of U.S.‑born children living in the country without their parents. An investigation by ProPublica found that authorities detained the parents of more than 11,000 U.S. citizen children during the early months of the current administration’s second term. Local reporting by WLRN and others has documented how operations across Florida have sped up removals and effectively turned the Guatemalan‑Maya Center into a regional hub for reunification efforts.
What comes next
Staff at the Guatemalan‑Maya Center say they expect more families to call as deportations and voluntary departures continue. The group plans to keep lining up chaperones, raising money for tickets and preparing paperwork for those whose choices are shrinking to last‑minute flights and hurried goodbyes. For program information and contact details, visit the Guatemalan‑Maya Center.
