Overview
- On December 30, the State Department instructed U.S. embassies across Latin America to report crimes tied to what it calls “mass migration” and to identify government policies seen as facilitating those flows.
- Embassies were told to urge host governments to address what Washington describes as migration‑related human rights violations and to prioritize border protection.
- The State Department message asserted that large‑scale migration and the criminal networks enabling it harmed the United States before President Trump tightened border security.
- DHS has touted 2025 as “unprecedented,” citing 605,000 deportations and 1.9 million voluntary departures, though the White House has not released public data to substantiate the latter figure.
- Since Trump’s return in January, the administration has escalated enforcement with thousands of removals and partial or total entry restrictions affecting citizens of nearly 40 countries, contrasting with the prior focus on tackling root causes.