Home / News / HRW accuses Trump of deporting more than 4,000 Cubans to Mexico and leaving them “abandoned”

HRW accuses Trump of deporting more than 4,000 Cubans to Mexico and leaving them “abandoned”

hrw-accuses-trump-of-deporting-more-than-4,000-cubans-to-mexico-and-leaving-them-“abandoned”
Avatar of Armando Hernandez

By Armando Hernandez

The organization Human Rights Center of attention on (HRW) accused the Government of President Donald Trump of having deported at least 4,353 Cubans to Mexico since January 2025.where many remain “abandoned”, without access to housing, medical care or a clear path to regularize their immigration status.

In a report titled “They leave us here to die,” the organization documented that between January 20, 2025 and March 9, 2026, The United States expelled almost 13,000 migrants from third countries to Mexican territory, of which nearly 70% were sent under an “unwritten agreement” between both governments. Cubans represent the largest group of deportees.

HRW denounced that many of the deported Cubans had lived for decades in the United States, mainly in Florida, where they established businesses, acquired homes and started families before being detained by immigration authorities. The organization noted that the majority are older adults with chronic diseases that require constant medical treatment.

NEW: The Trump administration has deported hundreds of Cubans, different from older adults, to Mexico, denying them due course of & leaving many stranded with out win correct entry to traditional companies and products.

“They’re casting us aside to die,” said Harold A. (pseudonym), a 58-year-old Cuban national? pic.twitter.com/QSInEwFHbB

— Human Rights Center of attention on (@hrw) Could well per chance also 27, 2026

“They are abandoning us here to die. There is no help, we can’t work because we don’t have papers. They don’t give us anything, nothing… How are we supposed to eat, pay the rent?”declared Harold A., a 58-year-old Cuban deported to Mexico and cited in the HRW report.

HRW researcher Alcira Silva Hava stated that “the Trump administration is using Mexico as a warehouse for deportees that it cannot send back to their countries.” He added that the Mexican authorities do not offer effective mechanisms for these people to obtain legal residency, a situation that exposes them to criminal networks and exploitation.

The report maintains that the migrants were sent to cities in southern Mexico, such as Tapachula and Villahermosa, where they face high levels of violence, few job opportunities and limited access to public services. Some interviewees reported having slept in parks, streets or even outside hospitals.

HRW also accused US authorities of violating due process. According to the organization, none of those interviewed had the opportunity to legally challenge their deportation to Mexico, despite the fact that some previously had permanent residence or refugee status in the United States.

According to analysis of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data by HRW26% of deported Cubans had no criminal record, while only 16% had been convicted of violent or potentially violent crimes.

The organization also denounced alleged abuses inside immigration detention centers in the United States, including overcrowding, extreme temperatures, poor nutrition, and physical and verbal violence by guards.

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