US deported thousands to Mexico, Human Rights Watch reports
The Story
The Trump administration has deported nearly 13,000 Cubans, Venezuelans, and other nationals to Mexico, where they face cartel violence and limited legal options, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday. The report, based on more than 50 interviews in Tapachula and Villahermosa, found that deportees under this administration are older and have lived in the U.S. for longer than in past years, making it harder to find work and access medical care.
Key Facts
- Nearly 13,000 people have been deported to Mexico under the Trump administration, per the Human Rights Watch report.
- Cubans represent the largest group, with more than 4,300 deported.
- Over half of the 41 Cubans interviewed had lived in the U.S. since the 1980s or 1990s; most had a green card but had lost it.
- More than half of the deported Cubans had a criminal record, but only 16% were for violent crimes; one-fourth had no criminal history.
- Most deportees were detained at routine ICE check-ins, some at work or in public; none were taken before a judge to contest deportation.
- Once in Mexico, deportees are sent to southern cities with few job opportunities, limited medical care, and cartel violence.
- A shelter in Villahermosa has received Cuban deportees as old as 83, a departure from its usual demographics.
- Neither the U.S. nor Mexico has made the deportation agreement public.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
- How the third-country deportations are being carried out, as neither the U.S. nor Mexico has published the agreement.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Alcira Hava, Leonard H. Sandler Fellow at Human Rights Watch
- Josué Leal, shelter worker in Villahermosa
- President Donald Trump
Sources: abcnews.com
