The Trump administration has deported nearly 13,000 Cubans, Venezuelans and other nationals to Mexico, where they face cartel violence and lack basic services, according to a Human Rights Watch report released Wednesday.
The report, based on over 50 interviews in southern Mexican cities, highlights that deportees under the current administration are older and have lived in the US for longer than in previous years, making it harder to find work and access medical care. Cubans represent the largest group, with more than 4,300 deported, many of whom had lived in the US since the 1980s or 1990s.
More than half of the 41 Cubans interviewed had a green card but lost it. While over half had a criminal record, only 16% were for violent crimes. One-fourth had no criminal history. Many were detained during routine check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and none were allowed to contest their deportation to Mexico before a judge.
Once in Mexico, deportees are sent to southern cities with few job opportunities and limited healthcare, where cartels prey on them. A shelter in Villahermosa has received Cuban deportees as old as 83, a shift from the usual young men and families. “The US discards them. Cuba discards them,” said shelter worker Josué Leal, calling it a form of “double punishment.”
Human Rights Watch called on both the US and Mexico to publish the agreement governing these deportations and to ensure due process and international law are respected. It urged Mexico to provide medical treatment and a path to legal status, and the US to suspend deportations until these guarantees are in place.
