Americas Migration Brief - June 29, 2026
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Table of Contents
Integration and Development
🇨🇴 Colombia
IDB highlights Colombian government efforts in recent years to promote inclusion and integration of nearly 3 million Venezuelan migrants: “Colombia has demonstrated how large‑scale migration can be managed as both a humanitarian responsibility and a public policy opportunity.”
Meanwhile, analyst William Gómez warned in an interview with Radio Fe y Alegría Noticias that new Colombian president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella may signal a restrictive migration policy turn, including deportations of irregular migrants. “Gómez stressed that it is still unclear whether the president-elect’s statements will translate into concrete actions or if they are part of a political campaign speech.” (for more, see the regional cooperation section below on US-Colombia cooperation)
🇲🇽 Mexico
A CEPAL report examining return migration in Mexico finds that “Migrants returning to Mexico face precarious employment and discrimination, particularly women, which hinders their access to formal jobs,” according to La Jornada. (for more on returnee reintegration, see last week’s AMB)
Asylum, Protection, and Human Rights
🌎Regional
UNHCR head Barham Salih at a press conference “stated on Monday that migrant transfer agreements must “guarantee the right to asylum” and “the principle of non-refoulement,” alluding to deportations by the United States to various African countries,” according to EFE. Such migrant transfer agreements have proliferated between the US and countries across the Americas, too. (see also US subsection and regional cooperation section below)
🇻🇪 Venezuela
“Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24th June,” according to IOM. At least 188 have died and thousands have been wounded as displacement becomes a major concern, per UNHCR.
🇪🇨 Ecuador
The UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families published findings on Ecuador, among other countries. Comments include, “The Committee noted with concern that the October 2025 amendments to the Organic Law on Human Mobility permitted the detention and expedited deportation of migrants on ambiguous grounds. It was also concerned about tightened administrative sanctions that undermine due process, access to asylum and the prohibition on collective expulsions, including by allowing expedited deportation without prior judicial review.” (press release)
🇲🇽 Mexico
El Salto highlights the stories of migrants living in the Vallejo encampment in Mexico City, noting government efforts to disband the community. Many are seeking asylum in Mexico: “Most of those living there wanted to seek protection in the United States through the CBP One program. When Trump took office in January 2025, that door closed overnight. That’s when they began the process with COMAR. Some families submitted their applications on January 31, 2025. Today, a year and four months later, they are still waiting for their eligibility interview.”
🇨🇱 Chile
“The government of José Antonio Kast and the Investigative Police (PDI) reported on Tuesday that the 64 Haitian minors whom the Comptroller General’s Office had been unable to locate have been found… The children and teenagers have legal status and are under the care of a relative. ‘Most are enrolled in the education system and receiving healthcare,’” reports El País. (see last week’s AMB)
Unrelated to that group of children, two Haitian men were charged with migrant trafficking and money laundering; “According to the investigation, through the agencies Mundo Pam and Caneneen, the accused were dedicated to promoting and facilitating the entry into Chile of Haitian children, through unauthorized crossings and charging large sums of money to their parents and relatives,” reports La Tercera.
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Over 1,000 Dominicans signed a letter to the president calling for the repeal of a policy of immigration inspection in public hospitals, reports EFE, highlighting public health and protection concerns.
🇺🇸 United States
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration can end TPS for 350,000 Haitian and more than 6,000 Syrian migrants living in the US, leaving them vulnerable to deportation. (CBS)
The majority ruling specifically stated that the law does not allow for judicial review in the case. “The case shows why a future Congress should systematically repeal laws that bar judicial review, at least within the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),” argues Cato’s David Bier on Substack.
Relatedly, Austin Kocher notes at his Substack that an estimated 103,000 Ukrainians are set to lose their TPS in October. (see AMB 6/1/26 for more on the nearly 1.3 million individuals from 17 countries reliant on TPS)
“The Supreme Court said on Thursday that the Trump administration can turn away migrants seeking asylum along the U.S.-Mexico border by physically preventing them from crossing into the United States as they seek protection from persecution,” reports New York Times.
Addressing concerns about third country deportations, a Georgetown Immigration Law Journal article “argues that immigration lawyers should use the administrative process to create a record that protects noncitizens against third country removals,” outlining potential paths of action.
“How the Trump Administration Pushed Judges to Deport Children: The D.O.J. has fast-tracked immigration cases for unaccompanied minors and fired judges who appear not to comply.” (The New Yorker)
“UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday urged prompt action to prevent further loss of life in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and called for independent investigations into all deaths under ICE custody.” (press release)
A Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights report examines deaths in ICE custody.
“ICE Reports 20th Detained Death of 2026, 63-year-old Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez from Mexico” (Austin Kocher’s Substack)
Texas Observer looks at deaths in transit to the US, too, noting a case last month of seven migrants dying likely of heat stroke while hitching a ride on a cargo container en route to San Antonio.
WOLA’s Adam Isacson highlights stories related to the US-Mexico border and human rights at the Border Update, noting, “Border Patrol apprehended 9,998 people at the U.S.-Mexico border in May, the largest monthly total of the Trump administration, though still a historically low number. Increases since January probably owe to spring weather.”
🇨🇦 Canada
In response to concerns surrounding a recent Ebola outbreak, “Many individuals from Uganda who had faced imminent removal from Canada will be given a second chance at obtaining protected person status,” explains CIC News.
“The Immigration Department is facing almost 300 court challenges to its decision to deny tens of thousands of asylum claimants the right to have their case heard at Canada’s independent immigration and refugee tribunal… The government is facing the spate of judicial review applications after it changed asylum rules in March, putting tens of thousands of asylum claimants on a fast track to deportation,” reports The Globe and Mail. (see AMB 4/13/26)
Migratory Institutions and Regional and Bilateral Cooperation
🌎🇺🇸 United States and Regional
“The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has agreed to establish a broad-based, high-level advisory team to guide negotiations with the United States over requests for member states to accept a limited number of non-criminal third-country nationals and refugees,” reports CNW, noting that Antigua and Barbuda has rejected a proposal to accept 120 deportees, instead stating willingness to accept 10 annually.
The Jamaican government is receiving criticism over potential transfers from the opposition, who are questioning the lack of humanitarian reception for Haitian maritime arrivals, by contrast. 28 Haitian migrants, including 3 children, arrived by boat last week and were subsequently deported. (Observer, Radio Jamaica News)
Colombian president-elect Abelardo De La Espriella met with US Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, discussing migration, among other topics. “In his message, the senator stated that one of the points they addressed was the asylum applications from Colombians who claimed to be in danger in their country of origin. According to Moreno, they agree that these individuals should return to Colombia,” reports RCN. (see last week’s AMB on how the Trump administration detained a critic of De La Espriella)
US and El Salvador officials met to discuss migration, among other topics. (El Mundo)
El País examines US-Mexico relations and migration cooperation under the Biden and AMLO administrations, based on former US ambassador Ken Salazar’s new memoir. Salazar recounts AMLO wanting greater US support on infrastructure projects in exchange for greater migration (enforcement) cooperation.
🇧🇴🇧🇷 Brazil and Bolivia
Officials from Brazil’s Acre state, bordering Bolivia, met with Bolivian officials to discuss migration, including in relation to humanitarian reception, social assistance, and protection. (press release)
🇨🇺🇺🇾 Uruguay and Cuba
Uruguayan and Cuban officials met to discuss migration and bilateral cooperation. (press release)
Labor Migration
🌎Regional
EFE highlights Guatemalan and Honduran temporary labor migration to work in Spain’s agricultural sector, noting an expansion in the program between 2025 and 2026, near-universal return rates, high levels of repeat participants, and high levels of remittance sending.
🇰🇳 St. Kitts and Nevis
“About 47 Ghanaian health professionals have been deployed to Saint Kitts and Nevis under the government’s Health Workforce Migration Initiative, a programme designed to provide temporary overseas employment opportunities,” says Joy Online, noting, “the professionals will serve in Saint Kitts and Nevis on two to three-year contracts, after which they are expected to return to Ghana to continue their service within the country’s health sector.”
🇸🇻🇨🇦 Canada and El Salvador
Nearly 100 Salvadorans are en route to work in Canada as temporary labor migrants, the largest cohort sent as of yet as part of El Salvador’s Labor Migration Program. (Diario La Huella, ElSalvador)
🇭🇹🇩🇴 Dominican Republic and Haiti
A government survey reveals that over two-thirds of workers in the Dominican construction sector are of Haitian origin. (CDN)
Migrants in Transit
🌎Regional
A homemade boat holding 30 Cuban migrants was intercepted between Cuba and Mexico. “The wooden vessel was sinking and had no fuel or water on board,” notes Miami Herald.
Borders and Enforcement
🇨🇱 Chile
As Chile sets up physical barriers along its border with Peru, some Peruvian commentators express concern that this will simply re-route, not stop, migration—and in potentially less predictable ways. (BioBioChile)
🇺🇸 United States
“A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to resume using a fast-track deportation process throughout the country that is typically reserved for people apprehended shortly after crossing the southern border,” reports New York Times, explaining that expedited removal “allows officials to deport people who have been in the country for less than two years without hearings in immigration courts.” However, the judge writing for the majority asserted that DHS is not required to tell migrants that they can avoid expedited removal if they have lived in the US for 2+ years, meaning that in practice the policy may be used more expansively.
“Even though Congress theoretically has many ways to oversee agencies, in practice over the last two decades it has used the budget as its main lever for controlling ICE… It was imperfect and imprecise, but it was a tool Congress could use to keep the agency in check. Now that, too, is gone. Twice in the past year, Congress has funded ICE not through the annual appropriations process but through budget reconciliation, putting the agency beyond its reach… With a seemingly bottomless budget, new contracting mechanisms, and no public reporting requirements, ICE now operates largely out of public view. We have little idea what the agency is actually doing with the money Congress provides,” explains former ICE official Claire Trickler-McNulty at Securing America’s Promise.
“A federal judge on Wednesday tossed out a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department that accused four New Jersey cities of having “sanctuary” policies that shield undocumented immigrants from federal immigration enforcement,” reports New York Times.