US embassies tasked with monitoring Latin America’s migration policies
Wednesday, December 31st 2025 – 10:41 UTC
The Trump administration keeps drifting apart from previous US policies under Biden
The US State Department formally instructed its embassies across Latin America to monitor and report on government policies that encourage or facilitate mass migration, it was announced on Tuesday.
The measure marks a pivot toward holding Western Hemisphere governments accountable for migration flows that Washington holds as a threat to both regional human rights and US national security.
In a statement on social media, the State Department outlined a new mandate for diplomats in the region. Embassies are now tasked with identifying local government actions that facilitate mass migration or prioritize migrants over citizens, documenting human rights abuses and criminal activity allegedly stemming from uncontrolled migration and the networks that enable it, and urging regional leaders to strengthen their own borders to protect their citizens from the havoc caused by transnational criminal organizations.
Mass migration and the criminal networks that facilitate it wreaked havoc in the United States before President Trump strengthened border security, the State Department noted.
The move follows a report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) describing 2025 as a year of unprecedented achievements in immigration enforcement. Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has implemented aggressive measures.
Approximately 605,000 individuals were formally deported. Additionally, the DHS claims 1.9 million undocumented immigrants left the country voluntarily, while partial or total entry bans have been imposed on nearly 40 countries.
This security-first approach represents a stark departure from the policies of the previous Joseph Biden administration, which focused on the root causes of migration —such as corruption, lack of economic opportunity, and violence— through regional aid programs and economic development. This abrupt shift has led to further friction between the White House and human rights groups.
