MEXICO CITY — A U.S. flight transporting 135 individuals, including a significant number of minors, from various countries, is scheduled to arrive in Costa Rica on Thursday. This marks the second Latin American country to facilitate such a stop as the deportation efforts by the U.S. government intensify.
Upon landing, these migrants will be taken by bus from the capital of Costa Rica to a rural facility located near the border with Panama. They will stay at this holding location for a period of up to 30 days while arrangements are made for their return to their home countries, according to Omer Badilla, the deputy minister of the interior and police of Costa Rica. The financial burden of these operations will be covered by the U.S. government.
This initiative is part of an agreement made by the Trump administration with Costa Rica during a recent visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Similar arrangements have been negotiated with several other countries in Latin America, although the strategy of using third-party nations as transit points for deportations has faced significant backlash from human rights advocates.
Concerns about the circumstances surrounding the detention of these individuals in Costa Rica have been raised, particularly regarding the rights of asylum seekers and the adequacy of screening these deportees before their return or potential transfer to another nation.
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves commented on Wednesday that his country is assisting its “economically powerful brother from the north,” a statement reflecting the pressure that Trump has exerted on regional governments to streamline deportations, sometimes threatening sanctions or tariffs if they do not comply.
Earlier this week, Panama became the first country to accept 299 deportees from various nations, housing them in police-guarded hotels. A portion of those who declined to return voluntarily were relocated to a remote camp in the Darien province, which borders Colombia. Those awaiting flights back to their countries were largely kept in hotel rooms. Protests from some detainees were noted, as they displayed signs that read “please help us” and “We are not safe in our country” from their windows.
Badilla remarked that Costa Rica is avoiding hotel arrangements to prevent a situation akin to that experienced in Panama. He added that the flight scheduled from San Diego would largely consist of families, including 65 children and two pregnant women. Costa Rica was informed by U.S. officials that the majority of those being deported had consented to return voluntarily.
If any individuals refuse to return, Costa Rica is willing to offer them asylum or will coordinate with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to facilitate their relocation to another safe country.
