started · updated
United States expands third-country deportations to Guatemala and Ecuador
The United States is increasingly utilizing third-country removals as a central component of its migration policy. In 2026, reports indicate that approximately 2,300 Mexican citizens were deported to Guatemala, with others sent to Honduras, before being moved overland back toward Mexico.
Under an Asylum Cooperation Agreement formalized in 2025, the United States has also begun transferring individuals to Ecuador. Approximately 121 people were transferred to Ecuador between January and June 2026. Human rights organizations have raised concerns regarding these transfers, particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals, citing risks of 'chain refoulement'—where a person may be sent from a third country back to their original country of persecution.
Legal challenges have already impacted these policies. In February 2026, a federal judge in Massachusetts invalidated a Department of Homeland Security policy regarding removals to third countries, ruling that there were insufficient opportunities for individuals to present claims of fear of persecution or torture prior to their transfer.
Entities
Associated Press · Department of Homeland Security · Ecuador · Guatemala · Honduras · Mexico · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 2,300 Mexican citizens were deported to Guatemala by the United States in 2026. prid3ly.org · eldiverso.com · siluetax.org
- [● 3 SOURCES] About 121 people were transferred to Ecuador under an asylum cooperation agreement between the US and Ecuador between January and June 2026. eldiverso.com · prid3ly.org · siluetax.org
- [● 2 SOURCES] A federal judge in Massachusetts invalidated a Department of Homeland Security policy regarding removals to third countries in February 2026. prid3ly.org · eldiverso.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Massachusetts court ruling cited insufficient opportunities for individuals to present claims of fear of persecution or torture before transfer. prid3ly.org · eldiverso.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The United States and Ecuador formalized an Asylum Cooperation Agreement in 2025. prid3ly.org · eldiverso.com · siluetax.org