Honduras Immigration News

A total of 159 Honduran deportees arrived at Ramón Villeda Morales Airport in La Lima, Cortés, on two flights from the United States, including a 25-year-old who spent seven years abroad and plans to return to agricultural work.

Federal agents detained 121 people in an August 30 raid on a Memphis bar; several Hondurans have already been deported while community groups say eight others remain unaccounted for, and four were released at the scene after proving their immigration status.

President Nasry Asfura asked the US to grant Honduran TPS holders time to prepare for their return, after Washington rejected Honduras's request for a transition extension; about 55,000 Hondurans are affected by the program's end.

The US State Department rejected President Nasry Asfura's request for a transition period allowing Honduran TPS holders to seek legal counsel and explore alternative immigration pathways before the program's termination.

Anthony Abraham López Cruz, 23, died of a medical emergency while in custody in Bastrop County, Texas, two days after being arrested on August 10 for a traffic violation and suspected drunk driving; his family is demanding answers about the circumstances leading to his death.

Honduras's immigration authority reported 24,837 Chinese citizens entered the country irregularly from 2014 to present, with a sharp spike of 12,184 in 2023 following the establishment of diplomatic relations with China, prompting congressional oversight.

Human-rights defenders report that Honduran migrants deported from the US are being transferred to El Salvador under a 'Safe Third Country' agreement and detained in CECOT, a maximum-security prison, rather than processed as migrants.

A law exempting returned Honduran migrants from import duties on household goods, tools, and vehicles remains unapplied because Customs has not issued the required implementing regulations.

Honduras's ambassador to Washington will meet a U.S. Department of Homeland Security official on September 3 to propose alternatives for TPS beneficiaries facing expiration, including legal aid, temporary work authorizations, and orderly returns for those unable to regularize their status.

Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores, a legal permanent resident living in Los Angeles since 2002, was arrested on August 28 for fraudulently registering to vote in California's November 2026 midterm elections despite lacking U.S. citizenship, and faces felony charges.

The United States has temporarily halted interviews for immigrant visas (for permanent residence) while consular staff receive training on evaluating applicants, delaying appointments for thousands of Hondurans seeking family reunification or work-based immigration.

Honduras is seeking a transition period from the U.S. before TPS holders must depart, with a delegation set to meet U.S. officials in early September, while at least 385 deportees arrived this week on three flights to San Pedro Sula.

Twenty-six Mexican nationals deported from the United States are temporarily housed at Honduras's migrant reception center in San Pedro Sula while completing consular paperwork to return to Mexico, part of a larger flow of 365 Mexican deportees Honduras has received and assisted since the beginning of the year.

The National Registry of Persons will start distributing the new child identity document (DINNA) in May 2027, after completing enrollment of minors in schools through April 2027; the card will include biometric data and be held by parents, not children.

Honduras has received and is arranging the return of 365 Mexican citizens deported from the United States, providing shelter, food, and assistance at a migrant center in San Pedro Sula as part of a reciprocal arrangement with Mexico.

Brayan Omar Sánchez, a Honduran from Olancho deported to an African country by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite having an active asylum case pending judicial review, posted videos documenting severe poverty and sanitation conditions where he says he now lives.

Honduras allows Costa Rican citizens with valid US or Canadian visas or residency to enter without a criminal-record certificate, a change from a requirement imposed since October 2023 that nearly stranded one traveler at the airport.

About 31,000 Hondurans have been deported from the United States, Mexico, and Guatemala between January and August 2026, with 27,828 arriving by air from the US, as the government braces for potential mass returns following the US termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Hondurans.

Honduras's migration authority reported that more than 30,000 Hondurans have been deported from the US, Mexico, and Guatemala through August 20, 2026, with officials warning that the termination of Temporary Protected Status for 55,000 Hondurans could trigger mass deportations and threaten the $10 billion in annual remittances the country receives.

Honduras's National Immigration Institute suspended passport services on August 20 for technical maintenance and platform updates, rescheduling affected appointments to Saturday in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, and La Ceiba, with no extra fees.

Honduras's foreign minister said the end of Temporary Protected Status for over 55,000 Hondurans in the US does not mean all beneficiaries must return immediately, as individual cases will depend on family ties, residency length, and pending legal proceedings.

Child-welfare advocates warned that Honduras lacks the educational and social infrastructure to absorb children returning after the US cancels Temporary Protected Status for Hondurans, with 878 minors already deported in 2026 and thousands more at risk.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed on August 18 that all TPS terminations — including for Hondurans — are now in effect after months of court battles, warning holders who remain in the country without status that they will be deported.

Fifty Hondurans and 36 Mexicans arrived in Tegucigalpa aboard a US military aircraft from Fort Lauderdale, bringing the cumulative air-deportation count for Hondurans to 28,001, as officials warn the TPS cancellation could accelerate returns in coming months.

President Nasry Asfura requested that the United States evaluate each Honduran affected by the suspension of Temporary Protected Status on a case-by-case basis, noting that many have lived, worked, and built families in the US for decades since the program began after Hurricane Mitch 28 years ago.

Honduras ranked among Spain's top immigrant nationalities in the second quarter of 2026, with 7,600 Hondurans arriving and 2,700 departing during that period, according to Spain's Continuous Population Statistics.

The termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras leaves approximately 55,000 Hondurans in the United States without legal work authorization and exposed to deportation, according to former INM director Wilson Paz, who noted they had been contributing to both economies through taxes and remittances.

President Asfura attributed the US cancellation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) affecting over 50,000 Hondurans to strained diplomatic relations between the previous Castro administration and the White House, saying that stance damaged the legal standing of Hondurans in the program for decades.

The end of Temporary Protected Status for more than 50,000 Hondurans in the US will force returnees to adapt after decades abroad, with experts warning of challenges in employment, housing, and an estimated $240 million annual loss in remittances to families.

The Honduran government presented a diplomatic and consular response plan to the U.S. termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduran migrants, including negotiations with Washington and institutional support for citizens facing immigration changes.