HRW Accuses: Trump Deports 4,353 Cubans to Mexico

Human Rights Watch accuses the Trump administration of deporting at least 4,353 Cubans to Mexico, where they are left without housing, medical care, or legal status. The organization documented severe human rights violations and inhumane conditions faced by Cuban migrants both during U.S. detention and after deportation to Mexican territory.

Inmigración

27 de mayo del 2026
18:52 pm EST

President Donald Trump’s government has deported at least 4,353 Cubans to Mexico, more than one-third of the total migrants from third countries expelled to Mexican territory. Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced that these Cubans are “abandoned” in Mexico without access to housing or medical care.

The deported Cubans represent more than one-third of nearly 13,000 non-Mexican migrants that the United States has expelled from January 20, 2025 to March 9, 2026 to Mexico. The civil organization detailed in a report that “many have been left to fend for themselves, without access to housing or medical care” in Mexican territory.

“They are abandoning us here to die. There is no help, we cannot work because we have no papers. They give us nothing, nothing… How are we supposed to eat, to pay rent?” declared Harold A., a 58-year-old Cuban deported to Mexico, to HRW. This testimony reflects the desperation of hundreds of people.

How Many Cubans Has Trump Deported to Mexico?

Cubans are the largest group of non-Mexican migrants expelled to Mexico. The country has received nearly 70% of the total more than 18,000 deportations from third countries in the Trump Administration. This occurred “under an undisclosed agreement between both governments,” according to HRW’s document.

Archive photo of a group of protesters protesting in Mexico City against the measures adopted by U.S. President Donald Trump against Cuba. EFE/ Sáshenka Gutiérrez

While the Joe Biden Administration (2021-2025) deported fewer than 100 Cubans to Mexico per month, the latest available data from Trump’s administration shows a figure exceeding 500 monthly. This difference is dramatic and reflects a drastic shift in migration policy toward Cuba.

The organization recalled that “for years, Cuban nationals were not a priority target of U.S. deportation policies.” However, that “changed drastically under Trump’s second Administration.” Cubans are now the largest group of deportees to Mexico.

What Conditions Do Deported Cubans Face in Mexico?

HRW denounced that deported Cubans have suffered “abuses” and “inhumane detention conditions” in migrant detention centers in U.S. territory. The organization also accused U.S. authorities of “violating due process rights” of Cubans.

U.S. authorities expel Cubans to Mexico without documentation, money, or other personal belongings. Upon arrival in Mexico, Cubans “become trapped in cities with high levels of violence” and “without a clear path toward lasting legal status,” according to HRW’s documentation in Chiapas and Tabasco.

The organization interviewed 53 nationals deported from the U.S. to third countries, including 41 Cuban men. Most had lived in the United States, especially in Florida, “for years or decades after fleeing Cuba due to repression.” Now they are trapped in Mexico without a clear legal path forward.