US Deported 116 Migrants to Nicaragua via Secret Flights

Nicaragua accepted 116 migrants deported by the United States between early 2025 and mid-2026. Data regarding the acceptance of these migrants was analyzed under the 'Deportation Data Project', a research initiative led by experts from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers Universities. Details regarding the issue were shared with the public based on a report prepared by the Nicaragua-based Confidencial platform, as reported by the EFE news agency.

Although the Nicaraguan administration, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, oversaw the acceptance process, it was determined that no official statement was made or information shared regarding the matter. The fact that Nicaragua lacks an official agreement to accept deportees, unlike the US and some other Central American countries, makes this situation even more striking. Despite this, the country continued to accept individuals deported for various reasons.

An examination of the nationality distribution of the deported migrants reveals that individuals from 16 different countries were accepted into Nicaragua. The largest group consisted of 22 citizens from Honduras, followed by 19 from Cuba, 17 from Ecuador, and 11 each from Guatemala and Colombia. The group also included citizens of Peru, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Nigeria, as well as smaller numbers of individuals from Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, India, Iran, and Mexico.

The legal procedures applied regarding how and under what conditions the migrants were sent from the US vary; most were carried out by air. Records indicate that 33% of the migrants departed from Miami International Airport, while 25% departed from Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana. Flights were generally individual or in pairs, though transfers in larger groups were reported in two special cases.

According to codes applied by US immigration authorities, the reasons for the deportation of these individuals included being caught at borders, voluntary departure by judge's order, and violating immigration laws. According to the data, 82 migrants were processed under 'Code 8' for being caught at the border, while 22 were deported under 'Code 3' for deciding to leave voluntarily. 11 people were sent under 'Code 6' for violating laws, while one person opted for voluntary withdrawal.