Central America could also make pact with US on deportees, Mexico president says

MEXICO CITY - Mexico has received non-Mexican migrants from the United States in the past week, and Central American nations could also reach similar agreements with the US to accept deportees from other countries, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Jan 27.

The leftist leader’s comments are a reversal from her administration’s previous opposition to Mexico receiving migrants from other countries.

Ms Sheinbaum said in her daily morning press conference that Mexico had accepted more than 4,000 migrants, of which a “arge majority” were Mexican, from the US.

US President Donald Trump took office last week, promising massive deportations of migrants who were in the US illegally.

But in the days since, there has not been a “substantial” increase in deportees received by Mexico, Ms Sheinbaum said.

She previously said her administration had not agreed to the restart of the “Remain in Mexico” programme by the Trump administration, which would send non-Mexican migrants who had crossed the border between the two countries back to Mexico while they awaited processing by the United States.

She was not clear on Jan 27 whether the migrants accepted so far were deportees or migrants returned under Remain in Mexico, which US border officials do not classify as deportations.

The US is also in talks with Central American countries on immigration, she said, suggesting they could receive migrants from other nations in the region.

“Some countries’ constitutions - Guatemala’s, for example - say that any Central American must be accepted by Guatemala,” Ms Sheinbaum said. “So they’re coordinating with the United States, taking into account each country’s sovereignty.”

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez told journalists later on Jan 27 that he did not rule out his nation becoming a so-called “safe third country” to accept migrants of other nationalities.

Guatemala accepted migrants from other countries during Mr Trump’s first administration.

Mexico, which agreed to “Remain in Mexico” under Mr Trump’s first term, had also agreed to accept up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela kicked back at the border each month during former US President Joe Biden’s time in office.

Ms Sheinbaum said that deportations received from the US by Mexico had included people sent on four flights using civil aircraft. Reuters reported on Jan 24, citing a US and Mexican official, that Mexico had refused a deportation flight operated by the US military.

Such deportation flights have also caused an outcry from Brazil and Colombia in recent days.

Brazil accused the US of “blatant disrespect” of deportees who were handcuffed on a flight, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Trump tussled on Jan 26, nearly bringing the countries to a full-blown trade war over Mr Petro’s refusal to accept US military deportation flights. He later agreed to accept the flights.

According to Ms Sheinbaum, who called the agreement between Mr Trump and Mr Petro “good,” the Mexican government and US government were constantly in talks on immigration issues and other deals could be reached in coming days. REUTERS