The U.S. has expelled close to 2,300 Mexican nationals to Guatemala this year and transported several to Honduras, as per official figures. This marks a notable change from the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term, when such deportations were rare. Historically, very few Mexicans were sent to countries other than Mexico due to the non-refoulement principle, which prevents returning migrants to places where their rights might be at risk based on race, religion, or nationality.
The Mexican National Migration Institute (INM) verified that Mexicans have been deported by the Trump administration to Guatemala and Honduras, mainly since April, and then transferred by bus to southern Mexico. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry expressed opposition to this practice, emphasizing every Mexican’s right to enter the country.
The flow of migrants through Mexico to the U.S. border has caused tension between the nations. During the second Trump administration, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government protested the deaths of 17 Mexicans in U.S. immigration custody. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the deportations, citing the need to execute the largest deportation operation in history.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo disclosed that 2,284 deported Mexicans from the U.S. have been brought to Guatemala as a transit stop before repatriation to Mexico, as part of an agreement with the Mexican government. Similarly, 82 Mexicans were deported to Honduras in August, with an additional 35 arriving later. Reports from the Third Country Deportation Watch website indicated that 165 Mexicans had been deported to Honduras between May and mid-July.
Immigration lawyers suspect that the U.S. is using deportations to third countries as a strategy to indirectly pressure asylum seekers to return to Mexico, circumventing legal constraints. This method is seen as an attempt to coerce the Mexican government to prevent Mexicans from crossing the border. Trump had established agreements with several countries to act as transit or destination points for migrants expelled from the U.S.
In a separate development, the U.S. deported individuals to Haiti for the first time following a Supreme Court ruling allowing the termination of the temporary protected status program for Haitians and Syrians. This decision could affect residents from other countries under TPS. Activists have raised concerns about the safety of deporting individuals to Haiti, citing widespread violence and humanitarian crises in the country.
Liberia also received deportees from the U.S., including nationals from various regions who could seek asylum in the country. The U.S. State Department reaffirmed its commitment to curbing illegal immigration and enhancing border security.
