‘Volviendo a Casa’: Migrants Returning Home

Two major gateways in Latin America once were flooded with migrants heading north to the United States. Now, shelters are nearly empty and the crowds have dwindled. Travelers passing through these communities are heading south—dispirited, frustrated, and tired.

The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported from Tapachula, Mexico, and the Darién Gap in Panama, once hubs for northbound migrants seeking entry into the U.S.

This project documents the impact of U.S.-funded deportation flights to Tapachula and Panama’s closure of migrant reception camps, which were re-purposed as detention centers. Journalists interviewed deportees arriving in Tapachula, observed crossings at the Suchiate River, on the Guatemalan side of the border with Mexico, and spoke with migrants, advocates, and officials to understand how enforcement reshaped migration.

In Panama, journalists visited coastal launch points and deserted camps to report on the logistics and human toll of reverse migration. By amplifying migrant voices, this project reveals how U.S. policy influenced migration far beyond its borders, shifting humanitarian dynamics and regional stability.

Photo caption: Rafts sit idle on the embankment of the Suchiate River on the Guatemalan side of the border with Mexico on August 21, 2025. Image by Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times.