The U.S. has expelled close to 2,300 Mexican nationals to Guatemala and sent dozens more to Honduras this year, marking a change from earlier in President Donald Trump’s second term when such deportations were rare. In the past, only a small number of Mexicans were sent to countries other than Mexico due to legal obligations prohibiting the return of migrants to locations where their human rights could be at risk.

Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) confirmed that Mexicans have been deported to Guatemala and Honduras by the Trump administration since April, and then transported to southern Mexico. The Mexican government has raised concerns about this practice to U.S. authorities, emphasizing that every Mexican citizen has the right to enter the U.S.

Tensions over migrant flows have strained relations between Mexico and the U.S., with Mexico also protesting the deaths of 17 Mexicans in U.S. immigration custody. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the deportations, citing a commitment to carrying out extensive deportation operations.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo disclosed that 2,284 Mexicans expelled from the U.S. had passed through Guatemala on their way back to Mexico under an agreement with the Mexican government. Similarly, Honduran authorities received 82 Mexicans on flights in August, with more arrivals following in the subsequent days.

Immigration lawyers believe that deporting individuals to third countries is a tactic to indirectly pressure asylum seekers to return to Mexico. The U.S. administration’s agreements with various countries in the region have allowed for the transfer of migrants expelled from the U.S.

In a separate development, the U.S. initiated deportations to Haiti following a Supreme Court ruling allowing the termination of temporary protected status for Haitians. Activists have expressed concerns about the safety and resources available in Haiti for deportees, given the country’s ongoing challenges with violence, poverty, and hunger.

Liberia also received deportees from the U.S. under an agreement, with the option for individuals to seek asylum in the country. The U.S. State Department affirmed its commitment to curbing illegal immigration and strengthening border security.