U.S. Deporting Mexican Migrants to Third Countries Despite Mexico’s Willingness to Take Them Back: Report

The Trump administration has been deporting Mexican migrants to Guatemala and Honduras despite Mexico's stated willingness to accept the return of all its citizens, according to two Department of Homeland Security officials who spoke to CBS News.

The officials said U.S. immigration authorities have flown hundreds of Mexican nationals around Mexican territory and into Central America over the past several months. One objective, they said, is to deter migrants from attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border again by leaving them farther from it.

Mexico's Foreign Ministry told CBS News that it opposes the practice and has no agreement authorizing the removal of its citizens to third countries:

"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. Mexico consistently takes the steps necessary to ensure the safe and dignified return of all its nationals to national territory"

A DHS spokesperson said the administration "is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised."

Third-country deportations have expanded under Trump, but immigration policy experts told CBS News that sending Mexican citizens to other countries is unusual because Mexico has historically accepted its nationals back. Such removals have more commonly involved migrants whose home countries restrict deportations or people who cannot legally be returned there.

"This is almost entirely punitive," Adam Isacson, a researcher at the Washington Office on Latin America, told the news outlet, arguing that the policy also serves as a deterrent by demonstrating potential consequences for remaining undocumented in the United States.

The practice comes as broader tensions between Washington and Mexico remain visible. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said this week that U.S. visa revocations involving politically exposed Mexicans had been used as political pressure, while stressing that she did not expect the disputes to rupture bilateral relations.

"We want the best relationship," Sheinbaum said, while adding that Mexico would continue to defend its sovereignty. She also said visa decisions are ultimately matters between the U.S. government and individual applicants.

Originally published on Latin Times