The United States has deported nearly 2,300 Mexicans to Guatemala this year and sent at least dozens more to Honduras, according to official data, a shift from the beginning of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term when such transfers were minimal.
A New Transit Stopover Route
President Donald Trump, Mexican nationals expelled from American territory are no longer being sent almost exclusively back to their home country by direct air and land routes. Instead, some are arriving in Guatemala on planes carrying Guatemalan returnees as part of an arrangement between the nations.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo confirmed that 2,284 Mexicans deported from the U.S. arrived in his country as part of a transit stopover without refugee or asylum status. In a press conference, Arévalo detailed the mechanics of the operation.
“They are arriving on planes carrying Guatemalan returnees, and what we have done is bring them in transit so that, in coordination with Mexican immigration authorities, we can return them to Mexican territory within 24 hours of their arrival in the country.”
Bernardo Arévalo, President of Guatemala
The operational costs for these transfers are covered by the Mexican government or through U.S. funding. Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) confirmed that deportations to Guatemala and Honduras have taken place primarily since April, with individuals subsequently transported by bus to southern Mexico.
Official Justifications and Mexican Objections
Department of Homeland Security stated that the administration is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised. The INM noted that the reason is that the United States wants to prevent them from crossing back into its territory.
The Mexican Foreign Ministry has formally protested the practice, asserting that every Mexican citizen holds the right to enter the country. While Mexico has historically been willing to receive its deported citizens, the government registered its opposition to U.S. authorities over the third-country routing.
“The Mexican government has expressed its opposition to this practice to U.S. authorities and has reiterated that every Mexican citizen has the right to enter the country.”
Mexican Foreign Ministry
Expansion into Honduras and Tracking Discrepancies
Beyond Guatemala, official documents reveal that dozens of Mexican deportees have been flown into Honduras.
Tracking groups point to even broader figures. However, local reception bodies tell differing stories; the Honduran government’s Attention to Returned Migrants Center reported to Reuters that it had not received deported Mexican citizens and stated it had no information on the matter.
Deportees caught in the operation describe sudden transfers. Arturo Trejo, a deported Mexican man interviewed by Telemundo after returning to his hometown, stated that authorities gave minimal instruction before transit: They didn’t tell us anything, just to get on the flight
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Migration Experts Analyze Deterrence and Pressure Tactics
Immigration specialists suggest the third-country transfers serve dual purposes beyond simple logistical removal. Savi Arvey, director of policy at Human Rights First, argued that the tactic seems to be to put pressure on the Mexican government amid broader bilateral tensions over immigration enforcement and security demands.
“It’s unclear if these are Mexican citizens who have protection concerns in their country of origin or if the administration is just doing this to be punitive.”
Andrew Selee, Migration Policy Institute
Unresolved Questions on Migrant Protection
With Mexican authorities attempting to coordinate safe repatriations while simultaneously voicing diplomatic rejection, whether Washington will adjust its third-country deportation pathways or accelerate the volume of trans-regional flights remains undetermined.
