Guatemala’s president says about 2,300 Mexican nationals deported from the United States have been received in Guatemala in 2026 and were quickly routed back to Mexico after brief, in-transit processing. Reports indicate some U.S. deportations are being routed through third countries, a tactic intended to deter migration that has drawn diplomatic concern. Mexico and the U.S. have not confirmed the arrangement, while Honduras says it has no record; a Mexican migrant told Telemundo he was flown to Honduras and then returned without explanation.
Guatemala Says It Processed About 2,300 Mexicans Deported From U.S. in 2026, Quickly Routed Back to Mexico
FILE PHOTO: Guatemala's President Bernardo Arevalo delivers a speech during the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, Belgium October 9, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman/ File Photo
Guatemala has received roughly 2,300 Mexican nationals deported from the United States so far in 2026, President Bernardo Arévalo said in an interview aired late Wednesday. According to Arévalo, many of the Mexican migrants arrived on flights carrying Guatemalan returnees and were processed as transit passengers before being transferred back to Mexico, often within 24 hours.
New U.S. Tactic Raises Diplomatic Questions
Media reports and officials say this practice appears to reflect a recent U.S. approach of routing some deportations through third countries — a move that could complicate relations with Mexico. CBS reported that U.S. authorities have sent Mexican citizens to Guatemala and Honduras as part of efforts to deter illegal crossings, even though Mexico has said it is willing to receive its own citizens directly.
What Officials Have Said
Arévalo said Guatemala is treating the Mexicans as in-transit passengers "in coordination with the Mexican immigration authorities," and that Guatemala is not serving as a "safe third country." He added the migrants were not housed or granted refugee status in Guatemala and generally stayed less than 24 hours. Arévalo also said costs tied to these transfers were covered by U.S. or Mexican authorities.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters, though it has previously told CBS it rejects deporting Mexicans to third countries and denied any such agreements. The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment. Honduras’ Foreign Ministry said it had no information on the matter, and the country’s Returned Migrants Center told Reuters it had not received Mexican nationals deported from the United States.
First-Person Account
In a Telemundo interview, 56-year-old Arturo Trejo from Hidalgo, Mexico, said he was among dozens of Mexicans flown to Honduras before being returned to Mexico. "They didn't tell us anything, just to get on the flight," Trejo said.
Broader Context
U.S. President Donald Trump, re-elected in 2024, campaigned on tightening border controls and increasing deportations of people deemed to be in the United States unlawfully. Under his administration, some migrants have been flown to third countries that are not their countries of origin. Several small nations have said they faced pressure to accept deportees, while countries such as El Salvador and Panama have acknowledged receiving U.S. payments related to deportation arrangements.
Reporting for this story included contributions from Ana Isabel Martinez in Mexico City, Sofia Menchú in Guatemala City and Laura Garcia in Tegucigalpa. Editing was by Daina Beth Solomon, Sarah Morland and Rod Nickel.
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