Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court Mandated the Release of Foreign Migrants Deported from the US
On June 25., Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court mandated the release of foreign migrants deported from the US. In February of 2025, roughly 200 migrants from Russia, Iran, China, India, Afghanistan and other Asian and African countries were deported from the US under the Trump Administration to a holding shelter called the Temporary Migrant Care Center (CATEM) in Costa Rica. Almost half of the deported people were children.
According to NBC News, the deported people at CATEM have been forced to share overcrowded sleeping areas with poor air conditioning. It has also reached over 90°F at CATEM, located in one of tropical Costa Rica’s southernmost parts.
Costa Rica’s courts decided that the detaining of the deported people was unconstitutional since they were not given proper counsel, information about their immigration status or information to request asylum.
The Guardian has stated that as of June 24., 28 deported people are still being held in CATEM, including 13 children. Others have either accepted repatriation, left CATEM alone or requested asylum in Costa Rica.
The Costa Rican government has been given half a month to assess each migrant’s immigration status individually and release them. The government has also been ordered to determine what forms of assistance the migrants may need, including education, housing, health care and other services to help them recover after being detained.
Additional updates from other sources on this ongoing situation can be expected.