Fearing Trump deportations, migrants start leaving US voluntarily

Throughout the 2024 election cycle, President-elect Trump said he would carry out mass deportations once in office.

Some migrants are voluntarily choosing to leave the country ahead of Trump's inauguration on Monday.

Immigration attorney Rolando Vasquez told NewsNation some of his clients who entered under the Biden administration are now choosing to return home, fearing deportation under the incoming administration.

It's not just Trump's deportation plans that have influenced these decisions.

Vazquez says Mexico is now open to accepting non-Mexican deportees. This move would affect Cuban and Venezuelan migrants the most since those countries typically do not accept deportation flights from the U.S. but may take them from Mexico.

"This is causing many migrants to leave on their own, knowing that they're either going to be deported to their home country or be deported to Mexico," Vazquez said. "The overwhelming majority of them do not want to be in Mexico."

Sources in Mexico tell NewsNation it's likely newly deported migrants will face exploitation, kidnapping or extortion from cartels and smugglers. As of right now, it's unclear if Mexico has a plan to protect deported migrants.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

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