Americas Migration Brief - February 17, 2025
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Table of Contents
Integration and Development
🌎 Regional
“Urban migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean generally perform well in destination labor markets. However, female migrants and those displaced by violence or extreme weather events tend to face worse outcomes,” according to an IDB brief.
🇲🇽 Mexico
“In Tapachula, near the border with Guatemala, around 500 migrants are part of a new program that allows them to work temporarily in Mexico. Participants can work for up to three months in public space maintenance and cleaning activities” while awaiting the regularization of their immigration status, reports El País.
“Tens of thousands of people who had appointments with U.S. immigration authorities into February have been stranded by the Trump administration's decision to cancel the program when he took office in January. Many of them are in limbo in Mexican border cities, reports the Associated Press.” (via Latin America Daily Briefing)
“Some returned home. Others left shelters vowing to cross the border illegally. The Rodriguez family appears to capture the prevailing mood: Stay put and see how Trump’s policies unfold over the next few months.” (AP)
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
“The Dominican Republic is considering, together with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), creating an assistance program to allow the reintegration into the workforce of Dominicans who are repatriated,” reports EFE, noting that the effort would also “offer social assistance, psychological support, attention to obtaining identity documents ‘and all kinds of guidance that will help them integrate into society with dignity.’”
Asylum, Protection, and Human Rights
🌎 Regional
Spain has become a prominent destination for Latin Americans seeking protection. Colombia and Venezuela together made up over 63% of the 242,000 asylum applications Spain received in 2024, according to CEAR, the Spanish Commission for Refugees. Peruvians were the fourth most frequent nationality, followed by Nicaragua (#7), Honduras (#8), and Ecuador (#10).
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
AP highlights abuses from the Dominican Republic’s current mass deportation campaign targeting Haitian migrants: “The number of alleged human rights violations ranging from unauthorized home raids to racial profiling to deporting breastfeeding mothers and unaccompanied minors is surging.” Even still, “despite the crackdown, many re-enter the Dominican Republic, exposing a broken system.”
🇨🇴 Colombia
“As two rebel groups battle for territory, more than 54,000 people have fled their homes,” reports New York Times, diving into the conflict driving displacement in Colombia’s Catatumbo region. “Tens of thousands of civilians are trapped in the middle of the violence. Some families in Catatumbo have sought refuge in the forest, surviving on whatever they managed to carry with them. Others have streamed into Tibú, a small Colombian town on the Venezuelan border, sleeping in a school that has become a shelter. Still others have crowded into a coliseum in Cúcuta, the region’s main city, lining up each morning for food and assistance.”
IOM reviews efforts with a “micro-targeting process” to respond to internal displacement across Colombia by “identifying specific neighbourhoods and industrial estates where the most urgent needs are concentrated.” Over 5 million persons are internally displaced across the country due to violence and conflict. (see also NRC)
🇲🇽 Mexico
“Nearly 600 Mexicans, including children and the elderly, who fled to Guatemala last year to escape drug violence in Chiapas have returned to their country, the Guatemalan Migration Institute reported Friday.” (El Economista; see AMB 7/29/24)
In a separate article, Asylum applications in Mexico have soared since Trump was inaugurated president in the US, but “The rise in petitions for asylum in Mexico may not result in an immediate uptick in refugees there as only a couple hundred applications can be processed each day, fueling criticism about Mexico’s capacity to take on the burgeoning asylum demand,” reports AP. “Amid criticisms over the backlog, President Claudia Sheinbaum has sharply boosted funding for Mexican agencies handling migration and asylum.” (see AMB 2/3/25)
🇵🇪 Peru
An InSight Crime investigation explores the stories of women—often Venezuelan migrants—exploited and abused by Tren de Aragua in Peru.
🇺🇸 United States
“The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expresses concern over migration and asylum policies and measures recently adopted by executive orders in the United States (US), due to the impact on the human rights of people on the move.” (press release)
“Major refugee aid groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over the president’s executive order suspending the federal refugee resettlement program and funding for resettlement agencies,” reports AP. (see also IRAP, who filed the suit)
“While the Trump administration has highlighted transfers of dangerous criminals and suspected gang members to Guantanamo Bay, it is also sending nonviolent, "low-risk" migrant detainees who lack serious criminal records or any at all,” reports CBS. Texas Tribune highlights comments from family that some detainees have no criminal background, adding that both family and attorneys of detainees have been denied “neither information about the detainees’ whereabouts nor the ability to speak with them.” Immigrants rights groups, including IRAP, have sued.
“Air Jordan Tattoo Prompts ICE to Send Venezuelan Migrant to Guantánamo Bay: Tattoos have long been used by DHS to falsely accuse migrants of gang affiliations and facilitate expedited removal” (Migrant Insider)
“Detained Migrants Land at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base Timeline” (CEDA)
In an open letter to bishops in the US, “Pope Francis on Tuesday harshly criticized President Trump’s policy of mass deportations and urged Catholics to reject anti-immigrant narratives,” reports The New York Times.
The New Yorker explores conflict on immigration between Trump’s vice president, JD Vance, and the Catholic Church.
Two flights brought 190 Venezuelan deportees back to Venezuela from the US, reports Efecto Cocuyo, noting that “UNHCR said on Tuesday that it maintains its position regarding the situation in Venezuela and its advice that Venezuelans requiring international protection should not be forcibly repatriated.”
Ligia Bolivar writes at La Silla Vacía that Venezuela is not safe for Venezuelans, foreigners, or deportees, highlighting the continued crisis in the country.
MPI profiles the Venezuelan immigrant population in the US, while WOLA looks at the stripping of available legal pathways for Venezuelans under Trump.
The 222 Nicaraguan dissidents exiled to the US and stripped of their nationality two years ago are now in limbo as their humanitarian parole in the US expires, reports Miami Herald, highlighting some of their stories. I explained in an interview with the Herald that while their asylum cases are likely quite strong, their access to protection may be affected by other factors. (see AMB 2/13/23)
On a similar note, Nicaragua has refused entry/return to at least 160 nationals in recent weeks, with many returning home from the US after the expiry of their immigration status, such as humanitarian parole. (VOA)
WOLA’s Adam Isacson highlights stories related to the US-Mexico border and human rights at the Weekly Border Update, noting, “The Trump administration is adding eight criminal groups from four countries to the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations. This will affect the asylum cases of people threatened by these groups, strengthening some cases and devastating others… asylum seekers who face credible allegations of having given these groups money or services, even under extreme duress, could face bars to U.S. asylum.”
Migratory Institutions and Regional and Bilateral Cooperation
🌎🇺🇸 United States and Regional
“The US has sent undocumented immigrants from several Asian countries whose governments have refused to accept them to Panama,” reports The Guardian, noting that per Panama’s president, “the migrants would eventually be transferred to their countries of origin on flights funded by the US.”
MPI explores US-Mexico bilateral cooperation on migration management, writing, “It is key for U.S. negotiators to recognize that Mexican migration enforcement is necessary and complementary to U.S. policy objectives. If the United States wants Mexico to receive larger numbers of Mexican and non-Mexican returnees or bolster enforcement at its borders, U.S. negotiators should consider existing limitations in Mexico’s capacity and legal framework and be respectful of the country’s sovereignty.”
El Salvador’s offer “to incarcerate deportees from the U.S. of any nationality, including U.S. citizens,” came alongside a less publicized agreement on nuclear cooperation, reports CBS. (see last week’s AMB)
Although Guatemala has agreed to receive third-country deportees from the US, it will not be under a “Safe Third Country Agreement” as under the first Trump administration. (EFE)
“Guyana is engaging the United States on migration matters and potential areas of collaboration, but there have been no discussions on accepting deportees from third countries,” per Guyana’s president. (Observer)
India’s prime minister met with Trump, discussing migration among a variety of topics, per AP. Indian opposition party members, however, demonstrated last week over mistreatment of Indian deportees, as “US officials kept around 100 deported Indian migrants in shackles for their 40-hour flight home, including during bathroom breaks,” per CNN.
🇨🇷🇵🇦 Panama and Costa Rica
Panama and Costa Rica have agreed to a special process to respond to migrants heading south in an attempt to return home—a so-called “reverse migratory flow.” In such contexts, the migrants will be housed in a shelter on Costa Rica’s side of the shared border and then returned to their countries of origin “on planes paid for by the United States,” per EFE.
Panama is reportedly studying the possibility of sending Venezuelans in such contexts to Cúcuta, along the Colombia-Venezuela border, given a lack of diplomatic ties directly with Venezuela, reports EFE. The mayor of Cúcuta has called for greater resources if such a policy were adopted, reports W Radio.
🇲🇽🇭🇹 Haiti and Mexico
Haiti’s Minister of Haitians Living Abroad met with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Mexico in Haiti “to discuss the situation of (Haitians) living in Mexico and in transit to other destinations,” reports Haiti Libre, noting various points of discussion, including on “facilitating access to regularization, employment and training opportunities.”
🇲🇽🇭🇳 Honduras and Mexico
Mexican and Honduran officials met to discuss migration, with a focus on assisted returns and on the protection of Honduran migrants in transit through Mexico. (Canal8)
🇲🇽🇬🇹 Guatemala and Mexico
The foreign ministers of Guatemala and Mexico met to discuss migration, among other topics. (AGN)
🇧🇪🇸🇷 Suriname and Belgium
Suriname has signed an agreement with Belgium to “commit to speeding up the identification procedures of citizens in illegal residence and to cooperate in a smooth return… In return, the visa requirement for Surinamese diplomats and officials is abolished,” reports De Tijd.
Labor Migration
🇬🇹 Guatemala
The first group of Guatemalan migrants have arrived in Spain as part of a new temporary labor migration program in the agricultural industry. (AGN)
🇨🇱 Chile
El País highlights temporary labor migration in the agricultural industry in Chile, noting a prevalence of informality and irregularity and that “this does not always translate into completely ethical and fair opportunities in the hiring of migrants. According to the latest Casen survey, in Chile at least 19% of migrant workers do not have a contract, a situation that leaves them vulnerable to job insecurity, instability and various forms of labor abuse.”
🇺🇸 United States
Attempts to eliminate birthright citizenship in the US “could make working in the country less attractive, particularly for highly skilled and highly educated people who are in demand by many companies and must already navigate a byzantine, backlogged immigration system,” says The New York Times. The Trump administration’s executive order to that end has been blocked by multiple courts and deemed unconstitutional.
Migrants in Transit
🌎 Regional
A Poder & Estrategia poll finds that 18% of Venezuelans wish to emigrate—including 40% of those under the age of 30—with Spain (26%), Brazil (16%), Colombia (13%), and the US (11%) among the leading destinations of interest. Interest in emigrating to the US has dropped in recent months. (El Nacional, Twitter)
“Panamanian police on Tuesday blocked the passage of a caravan of dozens of migrants, most of them Venezuelan, who crossed [south] from Costa Rica to Panama after giving up on continuing [north] to the United States due to the difficulties of the journey and Donald Trump's deportation policies,” reports SwissInfo. (see the above section on bilateral cooperation and the two countries’ new agreement for such contexts)
“How Trump’s Aid Freeze Could Drive More Drugs and Migrants to U.S. Streets: Pausing assistance to crime-battered countries like Haiti, Colombia and Ecuador may worsen issues the Trump administration is focused on, regional officials say” (Wall Street Journal; via Latin America Risk Report). And on a similar note: “They fled repression in Venezuela. They may migrate again due to the US foreign aid freeze” (CNN)
However: “A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to restore funding for hundreds of foreign aid contractors who say they’ve been devastated by President Donald Trump’s abrupt — and in their view illegal — 90-day blanket freeze,” per Politico.
🇨🇴 Colombia
Migration from Venezuela entering Colombia has dropped significantly since the start of the new year, reports TalCual.
🇧🇷 Brazil
Brazil recorded 194,331 new immigrant arrivals in 2024, including 94,726 Venezuelans, reports Agência Brasil.
Borders and Enforcement
🇲🇽 Mexico
“Mexican authorities have ramped up security along the border with Belize, aiming to stop illegal migration and combat smuggling activities in the region… Authorities report that most migrant apprehensions in the region involve Cuban nationals,” reports Breaking Belize News.
🇺🇸 United States
“The Trump administration’s search for funding to carry out deportation efforts continues, reports Brittany Gibson of Axios. In addition to seeking a spare $175 billion from Congress, the White House is now looking into possible contracts with the Defense Department, report Julia Ainsley and Courtney Kube of NBC News. Those could draw legal challenges, the pair note.” (via National Immigration Forum’s The Forum Daily)
“Dept. of Homeland Security wants IRS to help with immigration enforcement” (Washington Post)
“Trump’s administration is using federal prisons to detain some people arrested in its immigration crackdown, the federal Bureau of Prisons said Friday, returning to a strategy that drew allegations of mistreatment during his first term,” reports AP.
“The Trump administration on Friday toughened the security requirements for sponsors of migrant children,” reports New York Times, noting that the policy may increase delays and fuel overcrowding in detention centers.”
“The House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation that would increase criminal penalties for people who try to evade law enforcement in vehicles near the nation’s borders, including subjecting any noncitizen involved in such an incident to detention and deportation,” reports New York Times.
“Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released new detention data today that objectively confirms widespread reports that ICE’s enforcement surge has largely targeted immigrants without criminal convictions or criminal charges, contrary to the Trump administration’s baseless public assertions,” says Austin Kocher.
“More than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans — ranging from the Episcopal Church and the Union for Reform Judaism to the Mennonites and Unitarian Universalists — filed a federal court lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Trump administration move giving immigration agents more leeway to make arrests at houses of worship,” reports AP.
“The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted an overloaded migrant boat carrying more than 130 people from Haiti, including small children, near the Florida Keys last week, reports the Miami Herald.” (via Latin America Daily Briefing)
More on Migration
🇨🇺 Cuba
“On January 31st, Secretary of State Marco Rubio restored the State Department’s Cuba Restricted List and added a new restricted entity: Orbit S.A. Entities on this list will be prohibited from direct financial transactions via the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The addition of Orbit S.A. to the list is notable. Orbit is Western Union’s partner and plays a key role in processing remittances to Cuba. Unless Western Union secures a new partner, remittances to Cuba will be cut off,” explains CEDA’s US-Cuba News Brief.
🇪🇨 Ecuador
El Comercio highlights comments from experts about the challenges faced surrounding Ecuadorian migration and possible solutions.