Donald Trump's administration has launched what it calls "the largest massive deportation operation in history", dismantling key migration programmes and triggering diplomatic tensions across Latin America.

The new US president has moved swiftly to fulfil campaign promises on immigration control, declaring a national emergency at the Mexican border, allowing ICE to make arrests at schools, churches and hospitals and shuttering the Safe Mobility Initiative, a Biden-era scheme that provided legal pathways for asylum seekers fleeing violence and political persecution.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on January 27 that her country had received over 4,000 migrants from the United States in the past week, though she noted there had not been a "substantial" increase in deportees. While the majority were Mexican nationals, the acceptance of non-Mexican migrants marks a reversal from her administration's previous staunch opposition to such measures.

The White House reports detaining more than 1,000 people in two days during raids across the country, with hundreds deported by military aircraft – a stark contrast to the Biden administration's average of 310 daily arrests.

"There are consequences for entering the country illegally," said border czar Tom Homan at a press conference, warning of "collateral arrests" during raids.

The sudden closure of Safe Mobility Offices in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Costa Rica signals a broader restructuring of US immigration management; the programme's website now indicates it is "no longer active", leaving thousands of pending applications in limbo.

The deportation drive, initiated right after Trump’s swearing-in ceremony on January 20, has sparked diplomatic rifts across Latin America in recent days.

Brazil condemned Washington for "blatant disrespect" over the treatment of handcuffed deportees, while a diplomatic standoff between Colombia's President Gustavo Petro and the newly inaugurated president nearly escalated into a full-blown trade war on January 26 before Petro backed down, agreeing to accept US military deportation flights.

In response to the crisis, Honduran President Xiomara Castro has called an urgent meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) for January 30. The gathering, to be held in a hybrid format, is set to address migration and regional unity.

Alongside a flurry of executive actions aimed at cracking down on “illegal aliens”, Trump’s administration is testing the waters for broader regional agreements to facilitate deportations. To this end, Guatemala's Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez has not ruled out becoming a "safe third country" for migrants of other nationalities.

The Central American nation has emerged as the only country so far to openly accept military deportation flights, receiving three successful landings since last week. US officials confirmed that another flight carrying 64 deportees landed in Guatemala on January 27 afternoon.

Meanwhile, White House sources familiar with the matter have told CBS News that negotiations are underway with El Salvador, a nation ruled by Trump-friendly President Nayib Bukele, for a "Safe Third Country" agreement that would allow the US to deport immigrants there from third countries, including suspected members of organised crime. The deal could particularly target Venezuelan deportees and alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which Trump has recently designated as a terrorist organisation. It would mirror a similar arrangement negotiated during Trump's first term that was never implemented and was later scrapped by the Biden administration.

But Trump’s outreach initiative could hit a roadblock with Nicaragua, with analysts warning of potential tensions over Managua's alleged role in facilitating northbound migration. The authoritarian country ruled by leftist President Daniel Ortega, already designated as "an unusual threat to US foreign policy" due to its strong ties with Russia and China, has been accused of profiting from charter flights carrying migrants, particularly from Cuba, while contributing to migration flows itself, with some 400,000 Nicaraguans entering the US illegally over the past four years. The future of thousands of Nicaraguan exiles currently in the US under the suspended humanitarian parole programme now hangs in the balance.

The White House has also announced plans to reinstate the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their applications are processed. Under Trump's first term, Mexico had previously agreed to this programme and accepted up to 30,000 migrants monthly from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela during Biden's presidency. President Sheinbaum has declared that she remains in constant dialogue with Washington, but Mexican officials have not yet confirmed their participation in the controversial programme's revival.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to begin a Central American tour next week to address migration issues, as regional leaders await clarity on the new administration's policies.

“Engaging with our neighbours is a vital element in addressing migration, supply chains and economic growth, which are key to Secretary Rubio’s pursuit of foreign policy focused on making America strong, prosperous, and safe,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.