The Trump administration has deported nearly 13,000 individuals from Cuba, Venezuela, and other nationalities to Mexico. These deportees face significant risks from cartel violence in a country that is unfamiliar to them. Human Rights Watch released a report on Wednesday highlighting these concerns.
Though Mexico has historically accepted such deportations, the current wave involves older deportees who have resided longer in the United States. This demographic shift complicates their search for employment and access to medical care.
The report is based on over 50 interviews conducted in southern Mexican cities, Tapachula and Villahermosa. It comes amid extensive immigration raids under U.S. President Donald Trump, targeting a broader range of immigrants than before. Cubans living in the U.S. for years or even decades have been caught in these raids.
Some countries, including Cuba and Venezuela, limit deportation flights or refuse deportees altogether. Consequently, the U.S. sends them to Mexico or other nations through bilateral agreements.
“Imagine being 60 or 70 years old, uprooted suddenly, sent to an unknown country where authorities abandon you without basic services. Imagine being left in dangerous cities with nothing but the clothes on your back,” said Alcira Hava of Human Rights Watch.
Cubans form the largest group deported to Mexico, with over 4,300 sent across the border. Most had lived in the U.S. since the 1980s or 1990s. Many entered during the Mariel exodus or a lottery program in the 1990s. Even those with permanent residency lost their status. While over half had criminal records, only a fraction involved violent offenses.
The majority of deportees were detained during routine checks, at workplaces, or in public spaces. None had opportunities to challenge their deportation to Mexico legally, despite expressing safety concerns.
The Cuban diaspora, which previously enjoyed expedited U.S. residency and citizenship options, now grapples with the broad scope of Trump’s immigration policies.
Once in Mexico, deportees find themselves in southern cities with scarce job opportunities and medical services. Cartels often exploit them. Navigating the refugee status process in Mexico is complex and not always an option.
Josué Leal, a shelter worker in Villahermosa, noted receiving Cuban deportees up to 83 years old, contrasting with the usually younger demographic. “The U.S. discards them. Cuba discards them,” he said, describing it as “double punishment.”
The details of the deportations to a third country remain unclear, as neither the U.S. nor Mexico disclosed the agreement. Human Rights Watch urged both nations to publish the deal and ensure due process and adherence to international law.
HRW also called on Mexico to provide medical treatment access and offer pathways to legal status for those unable to return to their home countries. They urged the U.S. to halt these deportations pending satisfactory safeguards.