ICE agents look on as detainees board a plane at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Feb. 24, 2026. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Nearly 2,300 Mexican nationals deported from the United States had been sent to Guatemala before being transferred to Mexico, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo said on Aug. 19.
Speaking in a news conference, Arevalo said his country received 2,284 Mexican deportees from the United States this year, who were subsequently repatriated.
“They are arriving on planes carrying Guatemalan returnees, and what we have done is bring them in transit so that, in coordination with Mexican immigration authorities, we can return them to Mexican territory within 24 hours of their arrival in the country,” he said.
He said the costs of the operation were covered by either the Mexican or U.S. government.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it was “utilizing all lawful options” to carry out President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts targeting illegal immigrants.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said it opposed the transfer of Mexican nationals to third countries and was working with the relevant countries to facilitate their safe return.
“The Mexican government has expressed its opposition to this practice to U.S. authorities and has reiterated that every Mexican citizen has the right to enter the country,” the ministry said in a statement to media.
The Epoch Times reached out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for further comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
