Guatemala Pushes Back 622 Migrants From U.S.-Bound Caravan

Guatemalan authorities said on Monday they have sent back more than 600 migrants who entered the country in a caravan that was bound for the United States.

Guatemala’s foreign ministry said 622 people, mainly from Honduras and Nicaragua, entered through border posts with Honduras, with minors making up about a quarter of the group.

The caravan left Honduras on Saturday but was largely broken up over the weekend. Video images showed Guatemalan police using riot shields to stop a large group of migrants from pushing forward. The authorities said some people made illegal crossings as well.

The Guatemalan ministry said the migrants, who are mostly men, were returned to their nations or the country from which they entered Guatemala because they did not meet immigration or health requirements. Fifteen Cubans were returned to Honduras.

Migrants elsewhere said they would press on with plans to cross Central America in a northward direction.

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