The United States has deported close to 2,300 Mexican nationals to Guatemala and a number to Honduras this year, as per official figures. This marks a shift from earlier in the second term of U.S. President Donald Trump when such deportations were minimal. In the past, only a few Mexicans were sent to countries other than Mexico, in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement, which prevents returning migrants to countries where their human rights may be at risk.
Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) acknowledged that Mexicans have been deported to Guatemala and Honduras by the Trump administration since April, with subsequent transportation to southern Mexico. The Mexican government has voiced its disapproval of this practice to U.S. authorities, emphasizing every Mexican citizen’s right to enter Mexico.
Tensions over migrant flows between Mexico and the U.S. have been commonplace. The Mexican government has protested the deaths of 17 Mexicans in U.S. immigration custody or operations under the Trump administration. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the deportations, stating it is part of a significant deportation effort promised by President Trump.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo disclosed that this year, 2,284 deported Mexicans from the U.S. have transited through Guatemala before being sent to Mexico under an arrangement with the Mexican government, without refugee or asylum status. Similarly, Honduran authorities did not comment, but records show 82 Mexicans arrived in San Pedro Sula on flights in August, with more arrivals in subsequent days.
Immigration lawyers suspect the U.S. is using third-country deportations as a legal maneuver to indirectly push asylum seekers back to Mexico when direct deportation is restricted by court orders. Agreements between the U.S. and several countries, including Liberia, have expanded to designate these nations as transit points for migrants expelled from U.S. soil.
The first deportation under the Liberia agreement saw 20 non-Liberians sent back, signaling a broader strategy to manage migrant flows. Liberian officials stated that deportees from various regions could seek asylum in Liberia if desired. The U.S. State Department reiterated its commitment to curbing illegal immigration and enhancing border security.
