US ramps up deportations of Mexicans to Guatemala and Honduras

Key Points:

• In 2026, the U.S. has deported nearly 2,300 Mexicans to Guatemala and dozens more to Honduras, marking a shift from previous practices where Mexicans were primarily returned directly to Mexico.
• Guatemala serves as a transit point where deportees are flown in and then bused to Mexico within 24 hours, under arrangements coordinated between Guatemalan and Mexican authorities, with costs covered by Mexico or U.S. funding.
• Mexico's National Migration Institute confirmed the practice, stating the U.S. aims to prevent deportees from re-entering its territory, though Mexico has expressed opposition and insists on its citizens' right to return.
• Human rights organizations have raised concerns that deporting Mexicans to third countries like Guatemala and Honduras may endanger migrants, particularly asylum seekers, and see this tactic as pressure on the Mexican government to curb migration.
• The shift aligns with expanded U.S. agreements with Latin American countries for joint immigration enforcement, and legal experts suggest the U.S. may be using third-country deportations to circumvent court orders protecting asylum seekers from return to Mexico.