'Please Help Us': Panama City migrants locked at a hotel then sent to remote camp—Lawyers warn of danger
Migrants deported from the U.S. are pleading for help after being locked in a hotel in Panama and later sent to a remote detention camp.
Deported migrants from the United States are raising urgent alarms about their treatment in Panama. Under tight security with limited contact with the outside world, they are reportedly detained in a hotel by Panamanian authorities, who had agreed to temporarily hold them before facilitating their repatriation. This operation is part of the Trump administration’s broader mass deportation efforts, which have pressured Latin American governments to assist in carrying out removals.
According to lawyers representing them, part of the nearly 300 Asian migrants deported by the U.S. have since been transferred to an isolated camp on the edge of the jungle, a location that remains largely inaccessible. Now, they anxiously await a decision—whether they will be returned to the countries they fled or sent to a third nation willing to accept them.
However, the conditions they have endured raise serious concerns, with lawyers warning that their treatment may have violated human rights protections.
Trapped in Panama
Once in Panama, the migrants were taken to the Decapolis Hotel and held under tight security for several days, unable to step outside. Panamanian attorney Jenny Soto Fernández, who represents 24 migrants from India and Iran, stated that many of them lived in fear and uncertainty, lacking information about their rights and legal status.
The migrants crossed their arms to indicate they were being detained. Photo: BBC
Many of them were unaware of their destination, with some believing they were being sent to Texas, according to attorney Ali Herischi.
Concerns over human rights violations
According to Soto, some migrants were not given official removal orders, making it difficult for them to understand their legal standing. Many also faced language barriers, further complicating their situation.
Migrants attempted to communicate their distress by holding handwritten signs in front of their hotel windows, pleading for help. Some messages read “Please help us” and “We are not safe in our country”. Others even wrote “HELP US” in bold red lipstick on the windows.
"We are not safe in our country". Photo BBC
Panama’s Security Minister Frank Ábrego defended the government’s actions, claiming that migrants were confined to the hotel for their own protection while authorities worked to verify their identities. However, lawyers argue that they have the right to seek asylum due to the dangers they face in their home countries.
Migrants transferred to remote jungle camp
Following public exposure of the migrants' situation—including a New York Times report highlighting their desperation—Panamanian authorities began moving some of them out of the hotel. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, at least 97 migrants were bussed to a remote camp near the Darién Jungle, an area that is largely inaccessible.
Herischi, described the camp conditions as severe, with limited access to medical care, food, and the internet. Panamanian authorities have not yet clarified how lawyers will be allowed to access the camp or whether they will need special permits to visit their clients.