A US Department of Homeland Security official confirmed Monday that it would pursue a policy to send some Mexican asylum seekers applicants to Guatemala.

The policy originated from the July Cooperative Asylum Agreement between the US and Guatemala. In the agreement, the countries established that Guatemala would harbor some asylum seeker applicants that entered into the US border:

To ensure that protection applicants transferred to Guatemala by the United States have access to a system to determine protection, Guatemala will not return or expel applicants for protection in Guatemala, unless the application is abandoned by the applicant or is formally rejected through an administrative decision.

The US has made similar agreements with El Salvador and Honduras last September.

The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed disagreement with the policy, citing concerns of the policy’s effect on more than 900 applicants in February. The ministry vowed to closely monitor the deportations for possible human rights violations. Additionally, the President-elect of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, has previously voiced his disapproval over the agreement. However, the agreement requires a three-month notice for termination.