Hondurans in the US Increase Remittances Amid Deportation Fears

Sun Dec 28 2025 22:50:11 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As the threat of deportation looms large, Hondurans residing in the United States are sending record amounts of money back home, driven by anxiety over their status and concerns for their families' welfare.

Amidst heightened fears of deportation under current immigration policies, Hondurans in the US are significantly increasing their remittances to support families back home. The surge in cash transfers, reportedly up by 26% this year, reflects the desperation and economic struggles that motivate many to send larger sums before potential new restrictions could impact their ability to do so.

For over a year, Elías Padilla had been saving up to make the journey from Honduras to the United States as an undocumented immigrant. As an Uber driver in the snarled streets of the capital, Tegucigalpa, it hasn't been easy for him to put money aside. On bad days he makes as little as $12 in 12 hours.

Now, though, his plans are on hold.

The images of undocumented immigrants in major US cities being dragged away by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have deterred would-be immigrants from traveling north. I want to improve my life conditions because we earn very little here, Elías explains. Take this line of work, for example: an Uber driver in the US makes in an hour what I'd make in a day.

He adds, But I see what Trump is doing, and it's made me think twice. There's hesitancy to embark on the journey amidst fears of deterrent policies. I'm going to wait to see what the change in government here brings, he says, hopeful for improvement.

Elías's change of heart coincides with a positive trend for the Honduran economy: remittances are on the rise. Between January and October of this year, remittances to Honduras increased by 26% compared to the previous year, with totals soaring from $9.7 billion in 2024 to over $10.1 billion in the first nine months of this year.

Hondurans in the US, despite facing an increasingly hostile immigration environment, are sending home more money than ever before. Efforts to prepare for uncertain futures are reflected in stories from immigrants like Marcos, who attributes his home remittance increases to potential ICE apprehension. It's like a race against time to send home as much as possible, he notes.

This urgency is shared among many in the Honduran community, urging them to support families back home amid fears that changes in US immigration policies may disrupt their financial lifeline.