The U.S. has expelled close to 2,300 Mexican nationals to Guatemala this year and sent a smaller number to Honduras, as per official records. This marks a departure from the early days of President Donald Trump’s second term when such deportations were infrequent. Traditionally, very few Mexicans were deported to countries other than Mexico due to adherence to the non-refoulement principle, which prohibits sending migrants back to countries where their rights could be at risk.

Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) has confirmed that Mexicans have been deported by the Trump administration to Guatemala and Honduras since April. The Mexican government has expressed disapproval of this practice to U.S. authorities, emphasizing every Mexican citizen’s right to enter Mexico.

There has been tension between Mexico and the U.S. over migrant flows across the border. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration has raised concerns about the deaths of 17 Mexicans in U.S. immigration custody. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that the current administration is exercising all legal options for deportations as part of a significant enforcement operation.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo disclosed that 2,284 Mexicans deported from the U.S. have transited through Guatemala before being returned to Mexico without refugee or asylum status. Similarly, some Mexicans were deported to Honduras, with a total of 82 arriving on flights in August and additional arrivals later on. The U.S. has resorted to deporting individuals to third countries as a strategy to indirectly pressure asylum seekers to return to Mexico.

The Trump administration has made agreements with several countries, including Mexico, to act as transit or destination points for expelled migrants from third countries. In a separate development, the U.S. deported individuals to Haiti for the first time post a legal battle won by the administration. This coincided with the deportation of people under an agreement with Liberia to accept non-citizens.

Concerns have been raised by activists regarding the safety of deportees to Haiti, citing high levels of violence and poverty in the country. Haiti’s dire situation has led to calls for reevaluation of asylum policies. In Liberia, deportees from the U.S. have arrived and can seek asylum if desired. The U.S. State Department reiterated its commitment to ending illegal immigration and strengthening border security.