International News: Mexico rejects U.S. deportation of Mexican citizens to third countries

By Zoila Palma:  Mexico has rejected the Trump administration’s reported practice of deporting Mexican nationals to third countries such as Guatemala and Honduras instead of returning them to Mexico.

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the country has no agreement authorizing such deportations and that it expects its citizens to be returned to Mexican territory.

The reported deportations were first highlighted by CBS News, which cited two U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

According to the officials, hundreds of Mexican citizens have reportedly been sent to Guatemala and Honduras over the past several months, although the exact number remains unclear.

Mexico said it continues to accept the return of its citizens and rejected the practice of sending them elsewhere. “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.

The Trump administration has increasingly relied on third-country deportations, particularly when migrants’ home countries refuse or limit the acceptance of deportees or when legal restrictions prevent their direct removal.

Migration researcher Adam Isacson said sending Mexican nationals farther from the U.S.-Mexico border could make it more difficult for them to attempt another crossing while also serving as a deterrent to undocumented migration.

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