Donald Trump's immigration crackdown is now physically reaching Latin American countries, as the new administration is closing processing offices established under President Biden.
The offices, located in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala, were part of the Safe Mobility Initiative, which sought to deter migrants from crossing the southern U.S. border illegally by providing alternatives such as refugee resettlement, family-based visas, work visas, and humanitarian parole.
Internal State Department documents obtained by CBS News describe the closures as part of a "broader effort to assess how the United States manages migration processes to serve U.S. national interests." The decision aligns with President Trump's executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which allowed some migrants fleeing conflict or persecution to seek entry after thorough security, medical, and background screenings.
The Trump administration has also reportedly instructed U.S. border agents to immediately deport migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without granting them asylum hearings. Internal documents and agency officials told CBS News that as of Tuesday night the new policy was being applied in Texas, with nearly all migrants arriving in the area subject to immediate expulsion . The directive also extends to U.S. border sectors in Florida and along the U.S.-Canada border, where Canadian authorities are being asked to accept those who cross illegally.
In addition to facilitating legal immigration to the U.S., the Safe Mobility offices also vetted migrants for resettlement in Canada and Spain, which partnered with the U.S. on the initiative. The Biden administration had defended the program as a way to manage migration responsibly while reducing illegal crossings. Officials argued that combining these legal options with stricter asylum rules would dissuade migrants from making dangerous journeys to the border.
The closure marks a significant rollback of Biden-era immigration measures and raises questions about how the U.S. will address migration from Latin America moving forward. Latin American governments are seeking to engage in discussions about Trump's plans to carry out mass deportations, mindful of the twists and turns that the new US administration is putting in place.
This week, the Trump administration announced that it would bring back the "Remain in Mexico" program, formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which forced non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico until their often prolonged cases in the United States were resolved. However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied that her government has agreed to accept non-Mexican asylum seekers under the revived program announced by Trump.
Among the steps Mexico is taking to prepare for the impact of Trump's mass deportations are tent camps for migrant featuring attention centers along its northern border. Components for the first of nine centers arrived on Tuesday at El Punto in north Juarez, a location near the Rio Grande. This center, expected to be operational by the end of the week, will provide essential services such as food, medical checkups, temporary lodging, and a $98 debit card to help deported Mexican nationals return to their home states, as informed by the Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez.
Originally published on Latin Times
