(U NITED STATES) U.S. deportation flights to Central America have climbed to record highs in 2025 under President Trump’s renewed enforcement push, reaching nearly 6,000 flights by the end of August—a 41% increase over 2024—as new executive orders, expanded bilateral agreements, and major funding boosted air and ground operations. According to flight trackers and advocates, deportation flights peaked at 1,214 in July 2025, while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported a 15% increase in total deportations this year, alongside a sharp rise in domestic transfers that feed the outbound flights.
The surge has stretched resources in receiving countries across Central America, raised legal and human rights questions inside the United States, and reshaped how federal agencies move people through detention and removal.
Scale and modes of removal
The United States has expanded both commercial charter operations and the use of military aircraft to carry out removals.
- Since January, there have been 68 military deportation flights, including 18 in July alone, many tied to processing through Guantánamo Bay.
- Land expulsions to Mexico have also increased at key points, even as air removals to Mexico temporarily dipped, leaving shelters near the border full and local support networks strained.
- Data compiled by advocates and confirmed by U.S. officials show:
- Guatemala received about 25% of all flights
- Honduras 20%
- El Salvador, Costa Rica, and other destinations make up the remainder
In June, the system hit a milestone with 209 deportation flights—the most in a single month since 2020—while ICE ran 697 domestic flights that month alone to move detainees among facilities.
Policy changes and funding behind the surge
The shift flows from the administration’s first-year priorities. President Trump declared a “national emergency” at the southern border in January, framed migration as an “invasion,” and used executive action to accelerate removals.
- On July 4 he signed the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which allocates $170 billion over four years for enforcement, detention expansion, and deportation operations, adding fresh resources to ICE Air and detention networks nationwide.
- Senior officials say the goal is to increase the speed and scale of deportations while widening options to return people not only to their home countries but, in some cases, to third countries willing to accept them.
Legal and diplomatic shifts
- A June 2025 Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for faster removals to third countries, not only to a person’s country of origin, with minimal notice. That decision followed a lower court ruling that had blocked such removals on due process grounds.
- Diplomatic deals were key:
- In February, Guatemala agreed to raise the number of deportation flights it receives by 40%.
- Guatemala and El Salvador agreed to accept certain non-citizen deportees.
- Reports indicate the United States paid El Salvador $5 million to receive deportees.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been a prominent broker of these agreements, working with regional partners to keep flight pipelines open.
Operationally, ICE expanded its detention footprint, added charter capacity, and leaned on the military for specific routes tied to Guantánamo processing. Domestic transfers surged 65% over the previous six-month average in June, helping load outbound flights more efficiently.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the coordinated mix of executive action, congressional funding, and diplomacy allowed the U.S. to push deportation flights well above last year’s levels in months.
Administration rationale vs. advocacy concerns
The White House and DHS frame the approach as a necessary correction after years of high border encounters and stalled removals. They argue that quick deportations:
- Deter new crossings
- Lower smuggling revenue
- Reduce repeat attempts
Supporters inside the administration say the system’s design—fast detention decisions, frequent domestic transfers, and regular outbound flights—prevents backlogs, keeps detention space available, and limits absconding.
Advocacy groups warn that the pace and structure of removals have blurred basic safeguards. Groups such as Human Rights First and Witness at the Border say the use of military aircraft, expanded Guantánamo processing, and third-country transfers make it harder for attorneys and families to:
- Track where people are
- Confirm access to counsel before boarding
- Receive meaningful notice to pursue legal options
“Limited notice and fast transfers may block meaningful access to legal options,” according to advocacy reports.
On-the-ground effects in Central America
The local impact is acute. Municipal offices and charities in Guatemala and Honduras report steady arrivals often landing far from support centers with little warning. Immediate needs—food, shelter, safe transport—become pressing within hours.
- Where shelters exist, they fill fast.
- Many deportees receive only temporary assistance (water, a bed, a modest travel stipend).
- Community groups warn this pattern pushes some toward unsafe paths or gangs, particularly for those returned to areas they left due to threats or extortion.
El Salvador has drawn special attention due to reports of post-arrival detention:
- In March, 238 Venezuelans were flown to El Salvador and imprisoned at the CECOT facility despite a court order to halt those removals.
- Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly backed long-term detention for people who reoffend in the United States.
- Human rights organizations, including Cristosal, report some deportees are being held incommunicado with limited information available to lawyers or relatives, raising claims of enforced disappearances under international law.
Guantánamo Bay use, costs, and labor impacts
The United States has increased the use of Guantánamo Bay as a staging and processing hub.
- About 500 migrants have cycled through since February.
- 78 transferred in and 83 deported from the base in June alone.
Officials say the site provides secure processing for complex cases. Advocates say it limits transparency and raises due process concerns, particularly for people expressing fear of persecution.
Economically, accelerated deportations are costly:
- Estimates peg costs near $88 billion per year to remove 1 million people (detention, transport, coordination).
- The administration has reportedly asked Congress for $175 billion over four years to expand the system further.
- Employers in agriculture and construction warn that mass removals could aggravate labor shortages, pushing up costs and affecting production.
How the removal pipeline works now
Typical sequence for people in the removal pipeline:
- Apprehension by CBP near the border or by ICE in the interior.
- Movement into expanded detention centers.
- Domestic transfers (ICE Air charters, sometimes military aircraft) to hub facilities to match detainees to outbound flights.
- Grouping of deportees by nationality or destination, then outbound flights per receiving-country agreements.
- Final handoff on arrival—local authorities process incoming passengers according to domestic policy.
After the Supreme Court’s June decision, more people face expedited procedures, sometimes with limited notice before flights.
Reintegration challenges and family impacts
Arrival processing varies by country:
- In El Salvador: some transferred to CECOT for certain groups.
- In Guatemala and Honduras: most processed and released with basic assistance where available.
Reintegration challenges:
- People who lived in the U.S. for years, had U.S.-born children, or lack current ties may face severe hardship.
- Community groups report more cross-border family reunifications and repeat migration attempts.
On a human level, families and advocates face urgent, practical tasks:
- Locating relatives after overnight transfers
- Buying bus tickets for returnees landing far from home
- Managing overcrowded shelters on both sides of the border
Legal challenges and human rights concerns
Legal cases continue to test due process, expedited deportations, and third-country removals. Advocates note the Supreme Court ruling shifted the ground toward faster removals but left unresolved questions about:
- Notice periods
- Access to counsel
- Asylum screening
- International law obligations when sendings people to countries where they may face harm
Human Rights First and Witness at the Border call for:
- Clearer notice policies
- Public accounting for military flights
- Fuller reporting on who is being flown where
Practical advice for families and advocates
For families caught up in the process, attorneys stress early action:
- Seek legal help as soon as possible—access to counsel increases the chance to raise protection claims on time.
- Track alien registration numbers and detention locations; frequent transfers make this harder but it helps when possible.
- ICE provides public information and contact pathways; official guidance is available at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Community advocates note that even a quick call to a local legal aid provider can matter when flights move fast.
Outlook and trade-offs
- With record activity through August, analysts expect more high-volume months and project that more than 200,000 Central Americans could be repatriated in 2025 if current trends hold.
- Third-country removals may grow under the Supreme Court ruling, redirecting some deportees to Mexico or other regional partners.
- Funding debates continue in Washington as the administration seeks more money to widen detention and removal networks, while courts weigh further legal challenges.
Behind the numbers is a stark trade-off:
- The government has built a system that moves people quickly, using charters, military planes, and diplomacy to fill aircraft seats.
- Supporters call this effective border management; critics warn it comes at high costs—to rights, families, and regional stability.
For now, deportation flights keep lifting off, with July’s 1,214 flights emblematic of a year where capacity, legal authority, and political will aligned to produce record-breaking removals.
This Article in a Nutshell
In 2025 the United States dramatically increased deportation flights to Central America, recording nearly 6,000 flights by August—a 41% rise over 2024—and a monthly peak of 1,214 flights in July. The administration expanded charter and military air operations, secured $170 billion in enforcement funding, and used a June Supreme Court ruling to speed removals, including to third countries. Guatemala received about 25% and Honduras about 20% of flights. ICE reported a 15% increase in total deportations and a surge in domestic transfers that fed outbound flights. Advocates warn the rapid pace, use of Guantánamo processing and third-country transfers limit notice, access to counsel and transparency. Receiving countries and shelters face resource strain; reintegration, legal and human-rights concerns persist as courts and advocacy groups press for safeguards while the administration pursues expanded capacity and deterrence goals.
