Guatemala grants temporary residency to Mexican minors who fled violence

GUATEMALA CITY -- Guatemala’s government announced Monday that it has given temporary residency to 207 Mexicans, mostly children, on humanitarian grounds, after they fled across the border last week to escape drug violence.

National Immigration Institute Director Danilo Rivera said they will have 30 days of legal status after which they could request asylum if they want.

Officials have registered at least 44 extended families. Domestic and international organizations are supporting the families with donations, Rivera said during a news conference.

Early last week, nearly 600 Mexicans crossed the border into Guatemala, later describing harrowing escapes on foot as drug cartels battled around their communities.

Last week, Catholic Church leaders in southern Mexico made their own plea for the Mexican government to protect the communities from cartels, which extract protection payments and use locals as human shields.

Two of Mexico’s most powerful cartels from the northern states of Sinaloa and Jalisco have been battling for control of smuggling routes in the southern area for more than a year causing multiple displacements.