The United States has reportedly been quietly deporting Mexican citizens to Honduras and Guatemala, angering its southern neighbor.
Two Department of Homeland Security officials told CBS News that deportation flights of Mexican citizens have been circumventing Mexico to deposit them further south, against Mexico’s wishes. The initiative has been ongoing for months and has seen hundreds of Mexican citizens sent further south, they claimed.
Recommended Stories
The officials said that part of the reasoning was to send the immigrants further south to deter them from crossing the border again.
When reached for comment, DHS notably did not deny the report.
“The Trump Administration is utilizing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history, just as President Trump promised,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
In a statement to CBS News, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry protested the deportation flights, saying it was fully willing to accept its deported nationals.
TRUMP DOJ MAKING TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE IMMIGRANTS ELIGIBLE FOR DEPORTATION UNDER NEW EFFORT
“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. “Mexico consistently takes the steps necessary to ensure the safe and dignified return of all its nationals to national territory.”
The strategy of deporting immigrants to third countries has been spearheaded by the Trump administration, both as a method of deterrence and to speed up its mass deportation program, allowing it to send away migrants who are barred from returning to their home countries.
