Guatemala: A Stopover for Deported Mexicans Under Trump's Migration Crackdown

Guatemala has become an unexpected transit point for around 2,300 deported Mexicans, as per the Guatemalan government. This practice, spurred by the Trump administration to discourage migration, faces opposition from Mexico. The deported are returned to Mexico within 24 hours, with costs covered by the U.S. or Mexico.

The Guatemalan government reports around 2,300 Mexicans have been deported from the United States this year, reflecting a controversial move under Trump's administration to curb migration. Mexico opposes this practice, seeking to quickly repatriate its citizens from Central America.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo noted the deportees arrive on planes with Guatemalan returnees and are sent back to Mexico within a day, funded by either the U.S. or Mexico. The Mexican Foreign Ministry reiterated its resistance to this method and rejected such practices in communication with U.S. authorities.

While international norms suggest deportees return to their citizenship countries, Trump's migration policies have deported more migrants to third countries, sometimes through bilateral agreements. Experts see this as a strategy to complicate illegal reentry by distancing deportees from the U.S.-Mexico border.