Thousands of Central American parents continue to arrive at the southern border with their children, and about 40 percent of them are from Guatemala—the largest single group. Their arrival has led to threats from President Trump to close the border, to the deployment of the military and to the proclamation of a national emergency. A cycle of debt and tougher border enforcement in the United States continues to push people out in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, leaving a void in some rural schools and villages and a heavier load for those who stay behind.
