Trump Administration Deports Thousands of Venezuelans to Third Countries

The Trump administration has made Venezuelans the largest group of migrants deported to third countries, according to a Miami Herald analysis of federal data. In the first half of 2025, approximately 2,900 Venezuelans—representing over one-third of 7,900 total third-country deportations—were sent to nations where they held no citizenship, primarily Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador.

This surge in deportations follows a July 9 memo from acting ICE director Todd Lyons, which allows officials to deport non-citizens with as little as six hours' notice. In March, the administration utilized the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to send 230 Venezuelans to El Salvador's CECOT maximum-security prison. While the administration maintains it targets national security threats and criminals, records indicate more than half of those sent to CECOT had no criminal convictions.

Legal advocates report that many deportees are asylum seekers left stranded in remote areas without legal recourse. The U.S. has further expanded these efforts through agreements to send migrants to Rwanda and Kosovo. Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González have urged U.S. authorities to distinguish between criminals employed by the Maduro regime and innocent migrants.