Washington is widening deportations through Haiti, Guatemala and Liberia
The first Haiti flight landed at Cap-Haitien, the US routed nearly 2,300 Mexicans through Guatemala and Liberia received its first group under a deal that could extend to 1,200 people.
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The Haiti flight gave the first image of the new phase
Thursday's flight was the first deportation plane to Haiti since the US supreme court upheld the administration's power to end temporary protected status for Haitians. It landed in the country's second city, Cap-Haitien, because Port-au-Prince is considered too dangerous. As journalists filmed the arrival, many deportees covered their faces and almost none spoke. The Guardian says the court decision affects 350,000 Haitians, while Washington has kept its ban on US commercial flights to the capital in place through early September.[1]
The Guatemala route turned Mexicans into third-country cases
On a separate route, the United States has deported about 2,284 Mexican citizens to Guatemala as a third country during 2026. Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said that, in coordination with the Mexican government, those sent can be returned to Mexican territory within 24 hours. Mexico's foreign ministry said it had objected to the practice with US authorities and repeated that every citizen has a right to enter the country. The report adds that Honduras has also taken Mexican nationals, while human rights advocates describe the method as a pressure tactic built to deter migration.[2]
Liberia entered the system as a larger receiving point
In Liberia, the first plane landed on Thursday at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia with an initial group of 20 people. According to the Guardian, the agreement could allow as many as 1,200 people to be sent there, making it one of the largest third-country arrangements used in the Trump administration's migration crackdown. Information minister Jerolinmek Piah said the group will include nationals from Africa as well as North America, South America and the Caribbean. Justice minister Natu Oswald Tweh said those sent could apply for asylum in Liberia if they choose.[3]
