Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo on Friday denied claims that his country has signed an agreement with the United States to accept asylum seekers from other nations, countering remarks made by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

During her visit to Guatemala on Thursday, Noem and Arévalo signed a bilateral security agreement allowing U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to work at Guatemala City’s airport, training local personnel to identify potential terrorism threats.

However, Noem later stated that she had also received a signed document she described as a "safe third country" agreement — a deal that would allow Guatemala to grant refugee status to individuals seeking asylum, similar to an agreement she said she reached with Honduras. Noem emphasized the importance of such agreements, stating, “The United States shouldn’t be the only option. Refugees deserve safety, but that doesn’t mean it has to be in the U.S.”

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Arévalo, addressing the media on Friday, clarified that no new immigration-related agreement was signed. He explained that Guatemala continues to operate under an arrangement reached with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February. That agreement covers the repatriation of Guatemalan citizens and, under certain conditions, the transit of other Central Americans returning to their home countries.

Arévalo acknowledged that safe third country arrangements were discussed during Rubio’s visit, referencing a similar deal Guatemala signed during Donald Trump’s presidency. “But we made it clear that our approach is different,” Arévalo stressed.

The president did note, however, that Guatemala is open to granting asylum to Nicaraguans unable to return home due to the political crisis in their country, as an act of solidarity.

Arévalo’s office further explained that Noem had received confirmation of the February agreement through diplomatic channels weeks before her visit.

During Trump’s administration, the U.S. signed safe third country deals with Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. These agreements allowed the U.S. to deny certain asylum claims and redirect applicants to those countries deemed safe.