The Decapolis Hotel in Panama City transformed into a makeshift holding facility for 299 non-Panamanian deportees from the U.S., as part of a controversial third-country deportation agreement initiated by Donald Trump. These migrants, some unaware of their destination, find themselves in limbo—unable to return home yet mistrustful of their prospects in Panama. The situation became more complicated as Panama's leadership aimed to align with Trump's anti-immigration stance while simultaneously coping with public concerns over increased immigration, depicting the tension between national policies and humanitarian needs.
"These were the first migrants Donald Trump sent away in a third-country deportation agreement. Some had intended to apply for asylum in the United States..."
"Many of the 299 people shipped off to Panama... now find themselves in a dangerous purgatory. Some don't feel they can return to their countries of origin..."
"President José Raúl Mulino campaigned last year on building a Trumpian border wall. But when Trump started threatening to seize the Panama Canal, Mulino sought to placate him..."
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