The United States has expelled close to 2,300 Mexican individuals to Guatemala and sent several more to Honduras this year, as per official records. This marks a departure from earlier in President Donald Trump’s second term when such deportations were infrequent.
Prior to this, only a small number of Mexicans had been deported to countries other than Mexico, in adherence to the principle of non-refoulement in U.S. immigration law and international agreements. Non-refoulement involves not sending migrants back to countries where their rights, safety, or freedom could be at risk due to various factors.
The Mexican National Migration Institute (INM) confirmed that Mexicans have been repatriated to Guatemala and Honduras by the Trump administration primarily since April. The Mexicans are then transferred by bus to southern Mexico.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry expressed disapproval of this practice to U.S. authorities, emphasizing that every Mexican citizen has the right to enter the U.S. The flow of migrants through Mexico and across the U.S. border has often strained relations between the two countries.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo disclosed that 2,284 deported Mexicans from the U.S. have transited through Guatemala before being returned to Mexico, under an agreement with the Mexican government. Similarly, Honduran authorities reported the arrival of deported Mexicans in San Pedro Sula.
According to Third Country Deportation Watch, 165 Mexicans were deported to Honduras between May and mid-July, monitored by Human Rights First and Refugees International. Immigration attorneys believe these deportations to third countries are a legal tactic by the Trump administration to indirectly pressure asylum seekers to return to Mexico.
In a separate development, the U.S. deported individuals to Haiti for the first time post a legal battle won by the Trump administration. The Supreme Court allowed the termination of the Temporary Protected Status program for Haitians and Syrians. Additionally, the U.S. started deportations under an agreement with Liberia to accept non-Liberian individuals.
Haiti’s National Office of Migration reported the arrival of deportees, including individuals not born in Haiti but of Haitian descent. Activists have raised concerns about the safety and resources in Haiti for deportees, given the prevalent violence and poverty in the country.
In Liberia, deportees from the U.S. arrived at Roberts International Airport. These deportees may seek asylum in Liberia if desired. The U.S. State Department reiterated its commitment to curb illegal immigration and enhance border security.