Deportations Rise in U.S.: What Options Exist to Stop Them?

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported more than 350,000 people so far in 2026. An increasing number of these migrants are being sent to third countries that are not their country of origin.

This practice primarily affects undocumented people whose home governments refuse to receive them. Immigration attorneys explain that there are legal mechanisms to challenge this type of removal before it is executed.

What is a deportation to a third country?

A deportation to a third country occurs when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sends a person to a nation other than their own. Immigration attorney Jorge Molina explains that this happens when the country of origin refuses to issue travel documents.

It also occurs when there are diplomatic tensions or when ICE determines that another country is willing to receive the migrant. Federal law permits this practice when the original destination is unavailable, according to Molina.

In Africa, countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Eswatini, South Sudan, and Liberia have received migrants expelled from U.S. territory. In Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama play a similar role.

The case of Mexicans sent to Guatemala

Guatemala’s president, Bernardo Arévalo, confirmed that his country has received 2,284 Mexican deportees from the United States so far in 2026. The figure contrasts with just 15 cases recorded during all of 2025.

 

Arévalo clarified that these migrants arrive in transit status. They remain less than 24 hours in Guatemalan territory before continuing by land to Mexico, according to the president.

The Mexican government has rejected this practice. Secretary of Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez asked the United States to send Mexican nationals directly to Mexico, without stops in Central America.

Guatemala does not operate as a safe third country

Arévalo was emphatic in clarifying that Guatemala does not function as a «safe third country» in these cases. That legal figure would imply that the receiving country processes asylum applications from people of another nationality.

The United States has also sent Mexican citizens to Honduras and Costa Rica this year. This is part of a policy of deportations to third countries that the Donald Trump administration has expanded since 2025.

Human rights organizations have warned about the impact of these indirect transfers. They note that routes through multiple countries can create greater confusion and vulnerability for migrants.

For many families, the journey through a foreign country adds to the uncertainty of not knowing when they will reach their final destination. Immigration advocates insist that lack of knowledge about the process aggravates the fear of those who are transferred without prior notice.

Legal protections against deportation to a third country

Attorney Molina explains that every foreign person has the right to due process. This includes being notified, having a hearing, and being able to challenge the legality of their deportation.

«The right to be represented by an immigration attorney exists, although the government does not offer free legal defense,» said Molina. Having an attorney is usually the only effective way to challenge a deportation to a third country.

The current legal framework additionally requires that ICE respect human rights and