The Blubber

Mexico Accepts Non-Mexican Migrants from U.S. as Central America Considers Similar Deals

Mexico has begun receiving non-Mexican migrants deported from the United States, President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed Monday, marking a shift from her administration’s previous stance against accepting foreign deportees.

At her daily morning press conference, Sheinbaum stated that Mexico had received over 4,000 migrants from the U.S. in the past week, with the "large majority" being Mexican nationals. However, she did not specify how many were from other countries.

Her remarks come as President Donald Trump ramps up mass deportations, a key pledge of his administration. Despite concerns over a potential surge, Sheinbaum noted that Mexico has not yet seen a "substantial" increase in deportations.

Unclear Status of 'Remain in Mexico'

Sheinbaum previously stated that Mexico had not agreed to reinstate the controversial "Remain in Mexico" policy, which forces non-Mexican asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while their U.S. immigration cases are processed.

On Monday, she did not clarify whether the migrants accepted so far were deportees or individuals returned under "Remain in Mexico", which U.S. officials do not classify as deportations.

Central America in Talks to Accept Migrants

Sheinbaum revealed that the U.S. is also negotiating with Central American nations to accept deportees from other countries.

She pointed to Guatemala's constitution, which states that any Central American national must be accepted by the country. Discussions are ongoing between the U.S. and Guatemala, with Sheinbaum emphasizing that agreements must respect each nation's sovereignty.

Later Monday, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez said Guatemala had not ruled out becoming a "safe third country" to take in migrants of other nationalities, a role it had previously assumed under Trump’s first administration.

Mexico’s Evolving Immigration Policy

Under Trump’s first term, Mexico agreed to "Remain in Mexico" and later accepted up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela under President Joe Biden.

Sheinbaum confirmed that deportations from the U.S. have included four flights on civilian aircraft. However, Mexico recently refused a deportation flight operated by the U.S. military, as reported by Reuters.

International Backlash Over U.S. Deportation Flights

The use of military deportation flights has sparked criticism from Brazil and Colombia.

• Brazil accused the U.S. of "blatant disrespect" after images surfaced of deportees being handcuffed on a flight.
• Colombia nearly entered a trade war with the U.S. after President Gustavo Petro refused to accept U.S. military deportation flights, prompting Trump to impose tariffs and visa bans. Petro later backed down and agreed to accept the flights.

As deportation policies continue to evolve, Mexico’s role in managing non-Mexican migrants and its coordination with other Latin American nations remain critical issues in U.S. immigration strategy.