As of today, over 100 asylum seekers deported from the United States remain stranded in Panama, igniting a fierce debate over immigration policy, human rights, and international responsibility. Initially detained in Panama City’s Decapolis Hotel under tight security, these migrants—hailing from countries like Iran, India, and China—were later transferred to a remote camp near the Darién Jungle. With no clear timeline for their release or relocation, their plight has exposed tensions between the U.S.’s mass deportation strategy and Panama’s reluctant role as a transit hub.

The asylum seekers, part of nearly 300 deportees flown in on U.S. military planes in mid-February, include vulnerable individuals like Artemis Ghasemzadeh, an Iranian Christian fearing persecution if returned home. Lawyers argue their detention—first in a hotel with restricted access, then in a fenced jungle camp with scant resources—violates Panamanian law, which limits detention without court order to 24 hours. Reports of confiscated phones, suicide attempts, and inhumane conditions have fueled outrage, with advocates calling it a “moral stain” on both nations.

Panama’s government defends the measures, claiming the migrants are held “for their own protection” while identities are verified and repatriation options explored. This follows U.S. pressure, including threats over the Panama Canal, to make Panama a “bridge” for deportees the Trump administration struggles to send directly home. Critics, including Human Rights First, decry the policy as unlawful under international norms protecting asylum seekers from return to danger.