U.S. quietly deporting Mexican migrants to Guatemala and Honduras, angering Mexico

U.S. Routes Mexican Deportees Through Guatemala and Honduras in Unannounced Policy

Wertynews.com – Two Department of Homeland Security officials disclosed to CBS News that the Trump administration has, for several months, been flying Mexican nationals out of the country not back to Mexico but onward to Honduras and Guatemala. The practice, which has moved hundreds of deportees to those two Central American nations, was never formally announced by Washington. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they lacked authorization to brief the press.

Mexico’s Sharp Rejection

The Mexican Foreign Ministry pushed back in a written statement, emphasizing that Mexico stands ready to receive every one of its own citizens sent home by U.S. authorities. The ministry made clear no bilateral arrangement authorizes third-country transfers.

“The Government of Mexico accepts the return of all its nationals. It therefore rejects the deportation of Mexican nationals to third countries and has no such agreement in place,” the foreign ministry said. “Mexico consistently takes the steps necessary to ensure the safe and dignified return of all its nationals to national territory.”

Stated Rationale: Deterrence by Distance

According to the DHS sources, routing some Mexican deportees farther south—beyond Mexican soil and well away from the shared border—is intended to discourage future irregular crossings. A DHS spokesperson framed the broader effort in more sweeping terms:

“is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised.”

Historical Context and Expert Read

Under both Republican and Democratic presidencies, U.S. immigration agencies have routinely deported Mexicans apprehended at the southern border deep into Mexican interior states, a tactic aimed at discouraging repeat attempts to enter illegally. Sending Mexican nationals to entirely different countries, however, marks a departure that policy specialists describe as unprecedented. The administration has expanded so-called “third-country” deportations considerably, but typically in situations where a migrant’s home nation—Cuba, for instance—restricts or refuses U.S. removals, or where court orders shield the individual from return. Mexico, by contrast, has historically welcomed every deportation of its citizens and of other Latin American nationals processed through its territory.

Adam Isacson, a migration researcher at the Washington Office on Latin America, characterized the practice as fundamentally punitive. He argued the policy serves a dual purpose: it physically complicates any future border crossing attempt while simultaneously broadcasting a warning to undocumented residents across the United States.

“This is almost entirely punitive,” Isacson said.

“It’s the same as the purpose of sending them to Ecuador or Africa or anywhere else: to broadcast the hardship, to make sure people know that this is a possible consequence of remaining undocumented in the United States and to encourage people to self-deport,” Isacson said.

Unanswered Questions in Guatemala and Honduras

CBS News reached out to government representatives in both Honduras and Guatemala seeking comment on any deportation arrangements with Washington. As of publication, neither country had responded. The precise number of Mexican citizens already relocated under the program also remained unclear.