Overview
- Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo confirmed late Wednesday that Guatemala admitted 2,284 Mexican nationals flown from the United States this year as brief "transit stopovers" and returned them to Mexico within 24 hours.
- Mexico's foreign ministry says it rejects sending its citizens to third countries and has protested the practice while coordinating with partners to secure direct repatriation.
- The Department of Homeland Security says the administration is using "all lawful options" to carry out an expanded deportation operation that includes routing migrants through other countries.
- Human rights groups and immigration lawyers warn the tactic can bypass asylum safeguards and cause "chain refoulement," a process where people with U.S. protections are passed through third states and ultimately sent to places where they face danger.
- The program has broadened beyond Central America to include moves under new agreements such as a recent flight to Liberia, and it is likely to increase diplomatic tension and legal challenges over non‑refoulement obligations.