Julio De Ávila family's US asylum case faces possible transfer to third countries
The relatives of missing driver Julio Alfredo De Ávila Hernández were told by an immigration judge they may have to continue their asylum process in Ecuador, Honduras or Guatemala, and they have filed an appeal.
Julio Alfredo De Ávila Hernández vanished in 2017 after being coerced into cartel activities and allegedly tortured, a case that remains unsolved amid Mexico's broader missing-person crisis. His mother and siblings escaped to the United States in 2024, where they successfully completed the credible-fear stage of asylum proceedings. In April 2026 an immigration judge offered them the option to proceed with their claims in Ecuador, Honduras or Guatemala, designating those nations as safe third countries.
The family has since lodged an appeal, contending that each destination is less secure than Mexico and that they face ongoing threats from the cartel. Their appeal highlights concerns over the U.S. policy of transferring asylum seekers to third countries under agreements revived during the Trump administration.
Why it matters
The case illustrates how U.S. third-country transfer policies can affect migrants fleeing cartel violence.
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