Guatemalan interpreter detained 7 months, ordered deported, leaves U.S. citizen children behind
Jun 18, 2026·Location: Lake Worth Beach, FL
Country of origin: Guatemala

Olga Perez, a 47-year-old indigenous Mam language interpreter and community leader in Palm Beach County, Florida, was arrested during a traffic stop on I-95 in November 2025 and placed in ICE custody in Arizona. After seven months in detention and nine delayed immigration hearings, an immigration judge ordered her deported to Guatemala by July 6, 2026. She was released on her own recognizance pending voluntary deportation and made a surprise visit to her family and the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Lake Worth Beach before being deported. Perez had spent 30 years in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant, volunteering as an interpreter and translator for indigenous communities in the region. Her deportation leaves behind four U.S. citizen children, ages 13 to 21.
Timeline
Sources
- Olga Perez embodies the lie of Trump's mass deportations
bluewaterhealthyliving.com·Mar 18, 2026·archived copy
- Mom, Mayan translator reunites with U.S.-born kids before deportation
Yahoo News·Jun 19, 2026·archived copy
aol.com·Jun 19, 2026·archived copy
- A pillar of Palm Beach County's Guatemalan community faces deportation
WLRN·Jun 9, 2026·archived copy
- Indigenous Guatemalan leader in Lake Worth bids farewell after surprise visit from immigration detention
WLRN·Jun 18, 2026·archived copy
WUSF·Jun 19, 2026·archived copy
- Cherished indigenous Guatemalan leader in South Florida self-deports
WLRN·Jul 6, 2026·archived copy
- Mayan translator who helps police, courts faces deportation from U.S.
Yahoo News·Feb 26, 2026·archived copy
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