United States Initiates Mass Deportations Following TPS Terminations

The United States government has begun large scale deportation operations in 2026 following the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several nationalities. Between January 1 and August 20, 2026, Honduras reported the deportation of 30,965 of its citizens. Simultaneously, the administration has begun expelling Haitian migrants who lost TPS protection, with the first flight landing in Cap Haïtien on August 20. This flight carried 161 people to the northern coast because the main airport in Port au Prince remains blocked by gang activity. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the Executive Branch has the authority to end TPS designations without judicial review, a decision that affected Haiti, Syria, and Ethiopia.

As part of these operations, the U.S. is utilizing third country transit mechanisms. Guatemala reported receiving 2,284 Mexican citizens deported from the U.S. who were then transferred to Mexico within 24 hours. Honduras also received Mexican deportees, including 374 citizens as part of a collaboration mechanism and another 82 who arrived in San Pedro Sula on August 13 and 15. The Mexican foreign ministry has rejected this practice, stating there is no formal agreement authorizing the diversion of its citizens through third countries. The Department of Homeland Security stated it is using all legal options to conduct the largest deportation operation in history.

In Honduras, President Nasry Asfura is coordinating a return plan involving 20 state institutions and the consular network to manage the reintegration of returnees. Asfura attributed the loss of TPS benefits to poor bilateral relations during the previous administration of Xiomara Castro. Meanwhile, human rights organizations have condemned the deportations to Haiti, citing risks of kidnapping and extortion in a country already facing a political and humanitarian crisis.