The U.S. has expelled close to 2,300 Mexican nationals to Guatemala this year and transferred a number to Honduras, as per official records. This marks a change from the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term when such actions were minimal.
Previously, only a few Mexicans had been deported from the U.S. to countries other than Mexico, as the U.S. had observed the principle of non-refoulement in both its domestic immigration laws and international agreements. Non-refoulement prohibits sending migrants back to countries where their human rights, lives, or freedom could be at risk due to factors like race, religion, or nationality.
Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) confirmed that Mexicans have been repatriated by the Trump administration to Guatemala and Honduras, primarily since April, with subsequent transportation by bus to southern Mexico.
The Mexican Foreign Ministry stated its objection to this practice to U.S. officials and reiterated the right of every Mexican citizen to enter the U.S.
The movement of migrants through Mexico and over the southern U.S. border has often strained relations between the two nations. During Trump’s second term, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration also voiced concerns over the deaths of 17 Mexicans in U.S. immigration custody or enforcement actions.
In response to inquiries about why Mexicans were sent to Central America instead of Mexico, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, responsible for immigration enforcement, mentioned in an email that the administration was employing all legal means to conduct the largest deportation operation in history, as promised by President Trump.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo disclosed that 2,284 deported Mexicans from the U.S. had arrived in Guatemala this year before being transferred to Mexico within 24 hours as part of a collaborative arrangement with Mexican immigration authorities, with no refugee or asylum status for these individuals.
Honduran authorities did not provide comments, but official documents revealed that 82 deported Mexicans arrived in San Pedro Sula on two flights in August, with an additional 35 arrivals later. Between May and mid-July, 165 Mexicans were deported to Honduras, according to Third Country Deportation Watch, a website tracking U.S. deportation flights to third countries.
Immigration attorneys believe the Trump administration is using deportations to third countries as a legal loophole to indirectly compel asylum seekers to return to Mexico, circumventing court orders that recognize the risks of sending them there.
At the start of Trump’s second term, agreements were reached with several countries to serve as transit or destination points for migrants expelled from the U.S., including Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama.
In a separate development, the U.S. initiated deportations to Haiti after the Supreme Court ruling, terminating temporary protected status for Haitians and Syrians. This decision could impact residents from multiple countries who were granted TPS protections due to violence or natural disasters.
Haiti’s National Office of Migration reported the arrival of 161 deportees on Thursday, including individuals of Haitian descent not born in Haiti. Advocates have raised concerns about the dangerous conditions in Haiti and its limited resources to support deportees.
In Liberia, around 20 deportees from the U.S. arrived at Roberts International Airport, including nationals from various regions, with the option to seek asylum in Liberia. The U.S. State Department reiterated its commitment to curbing illegal immigration and enhancing border security.