The United States has deported nearly 13,000 Cubans, Venezuelans and other migrants to Mexico, where many now face dangerous conditions, including cartel violence, poor healthcare access and limited support, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday.
While Mexico has previously accepted deported migrants, the report says those removed under the Trump administration are often older individuals who had spent decades living in the US. Their age and long absence from their home countries make it more difficult to find work and increase the need for medical assistance.
The report is based on more than 50 interviews conducted in the southern Mexican cities of Tapachula and Villahermosa, amid a broader expansion of US immigration enforcement and mass deportation efforts.
Human Rights Watch said people who were not traditionally targeted for deportation — including Cubans who had lived in the US since the 1980s and 1990s — are now being removed. Because countries such as Cuba and Venezuela frequently limit or reject deportation flights, many migrants are instead sent to Mexico through special agreements.
A researcher involved in the report described the situation as especially harsh for older deportees, who are suddenly uprooted from long-established lives in the US and left in unfamiliar and often unsafe conditions with little support.
Cubans account for the largest share of those deported, with more than 4,300 sent to Mexico. Many previously held green cards before losing their legal status.
According to the report, more than half of those deported had some form of criminal record, though only a small number were connected to violent offenses, while roughly one-quarter had no criminal history.
Many migrants were detained during routine immigration appointments, while others were arrested at workplaces or in public spaces. Human Rights Watch said none were allowed to appear before a judge to challenge their transfer to Mexico, even after raising concerns about their safety.
After arriving in Mexico, many are relocated to southern regions where jobs are scarce, healthcare is limited and crime rates are high. The refugee application process is also described as difficult, leaving many migrants without stable legal status.
Shelter workers told researchers they are increasingly seeing elderly deportees, including people in their 80s — a noticeable change from the younger migrant populations they typically assist.
Human Rights Watch called on both the US and Mexican governments to publicly disclose their deportation agreements and ensure migrants receive proper legal protections. The organization also urged Mexico to expand healthcare access and legal options for those unable to return to their home countries, while calling on the US to suspend such deportations until stronger safeguards are introduced.
