Cubans Deported to Mexico Under Trump Left in Legal Limbo, HRW Says

Thousands of Cuban nationals deported from the United States to Mexico under the Trump administration are living in an indefinite legal limbo, stranded without shelter, healthcare, or a clear path to legal status, according to a devastating new report from Human Rights Watch.

The report, titled “Casting Us Aside to Die,” documents how nearly 13,000 third-country nationals were deported to Mexico between January 20, 2025, and March 9, 2026, with Cubans representing the largest group at an estimated 4,353 deportations. Many of those affected had lived in the United States for decades, held green cards, and built families and careers before being abruptly uprooted.

A 42% Surge in Deportations

Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, average monthly deportations of third-country nationals to Mexico have increased by 42 percent compared with the previous 27 months, the Associated Press reported. The deportations peaked in January 2026, with over 2,000 individuals sent to Mexico in a single month.

The Trump administration has reportedly negotiated 27 bilateral agreements for third-country removals, but the arrangement with Mexico remains opaque. In court filings, the Department of Justice referred to a “standing (unwritten) agreement” with Mexico — a phrase that has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and human rights advocates.

Elderly, Long-Term Residents Uprooted

More than half of the 41 Cuban men interviewed by Human Rights Watch had lived in the United States since the 1980s or 1990s, arriving during the Mariel boatlift or through the Cuban lottery program. Seventeen of the interviewees were age 60 or older; the oldest was 83. Over 21 percent of all Cubans deported to Mexico were age 55 or older.

“Imagine being 60 or 70 years old, uprooted from your life overnight and sent to a country you don’t know, where authorities leave you out to dry without access to even the most basic services — shelter, healthcare,” said Alcira Hava, the lead researcher at Human Rights Watch, as quoted by the Associated Press.

Most of the Cuban deportees had held lawful permanent resident status but lost their green cards following criminal convictions — only 16 percent of which were for violent crimes. One-fourth had no criminal history at all. Despite having served their sentences and lived for years under supervision with work permits, many were arrested during routine ICE check-ins or at their workplaces and homes.

Due Process Violations

None of the 41 Cubans interviewed were given a hearing to challenge their deportation to Mexico, even when they expressed fear for their safety. Only three accepted deportation voluntarily, according to CNN.

Interviewees described inhumane conditions in US immigration detention centers, including overcrowding, poor medical care, extreme temperatures, inadequate food, and physical and verbal violence. One Cuban man reported being held in isolation for two weeks in a punishment cell in El Paso, Texas, where he said he could not see sunlight.

Stranded in Dangerous Mexican Cities

Once deported, Cubans are sent to southern Mexican cities such as Tapachula in Chiapas and Villahermosa in Tabasco — areas with high cartel violence and limited economic opportunities. Mexican authorities give deportees just 10 days to begin a refugee claim with COMAR, the Mexican refugee agency, though Mexican law allows 30 working days.

Asylum seekers are required to remain in the state where they filed their claim, effectively trapping them in dangerous areas without support. “We are stranded here,” said Camilo, a 51-year-old Cuban deported to Tapachula after 21 years in the United States. “They left us here like dogs.”

Many deportees lack access to healthcare, medication, and even basic shelter. A 60-year-old man living on the streets told researchers: “I’m already 60 years old, and now I’m homeless. I have never been in this situation in my life.”

Funding Cuts Worsen the Crisis

The situation has been compounded by drastic cuts to US funding for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Mexico, which dropped from $50 million in 2024 to just $8 million in 2025. This has weakened COMAR’s capacity to process asylum claims, creating a self-perpetuating crisis in which deportees cannot access the very system meant to help them.

Josué Leal, a shelter worker in Villahermosa, described the deportees’ plight as a form of “double punishment”: “The U.S. discards them. Cuba discards them.”

Calls for Transparency and Reform

Human Rights Watch is calling on both the US and Mexican governments to publish any agreements governing these deportations, ensure due process for all individuals facing removal, and create pathways to permanent legal status for those who cannot return to their home countries.

As the New York Times reported, the report comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Havana, including the recent US indictment of 94-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro. With Cuba refusing to accept deportees and Mexico offering no clear path to stability, thousands of elderly Cubans remain trapped in a legal and humanitarian crisis with no resolution in sight.