July 18, 2014: Immigration and Custom officials standby as a woman and child, who were deported from the United States, deplane at the San Pedro Sula airport, in Honduras. (AP)
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – A flight carrying 59 women and children arrived Friday in Honduras from New Mexico, the second group of migrants from the Central American country to be deported from the United States this week.
Nun Valdette Willeman welcomed the 33 children and 26 women at San Pedro Sula airport's Center for Returned Migrants.
"All the children came accompanied by their mother, none of them traveled alone," Willeman said.
She said there is a playground for the children and a place for their parents to clean up and get ready before continuing to their hometowns by bus. Each child received a small backpack with crayons, and their mothers about $24 for travel expenses.
Several of the women said they had mixed emotions about failing to stay in the United States and that they now worry about paying back the thousands of dollars they borrowed to travel north.
"Part of my heart stayed in the U.S. because I missed a chance to get ahead in life," said Isabel Rodriguez, who was deported along with her 2-year-old boy and 8-year-old daughter.
"The most important thing is that I'm with my children," she added.
Another woman who wouldn't give her name said she still owes about $7,200 she borrowed to pay the smuggler.
On Monday, about 40 Honduran migrants detained in New Mexico were deported to their home country.
More than 50,000 young people have showed up unaccompanied since last fall, many fleeing oppressive violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, but also drawn by rumors that once in the U.S. they would be allowed to stay.
