Guatemala sends back hundreds of migrants in caravan headed to US

Guatemala last weekend sent back hundreds of migrants who were in a caravan heading to the U.S. over the weekend.

The Guatemala foreign ministry announced Monday that the 622-person group was apprehended over the weekend as they attempted to cross the border on their journey to the U.S., Reuters reported.

The group was made up of mostly men from Honduras and Nicaragua, and children made up about 25 percent of the caravan. 

The ministry said the individuals were either returned to their country of origin or the country they entered Guatemala from. 

“We can’t go on another day here … I want to get to the United States,” a Nicaraguan man who was going to leave his country Monday told Reuters.  

Authorities used riot shields to keep the group from advancing forward. Mexico and Guatemala have been working over the past few months to break up several caravans that have formed.

The U.S. has been working with Central American governments to curb immigration, as border crossings have spiked in recent months. 

Haiti opened a consulate in Mexico to assist with the migration of Haitians at the Guatemala border. 

And Mexico said it would require travel visas for Venezuelans after Venezuelans crossing the U.S. border last year dramatically increased.