U.S. Expands Deportation of African and Asian Migrants to Panama in Diplomatic Advancement

 

The United States has commenced deporting unauthorized migrants from Africa and Asia to Panama, marking a significant diplomatic achievement for the Trump administration’s broad deportation strategy, according to internal federal documents obtained by CBS News.

On Wednesday, a U.S. military flight transported a group of Asian migrants in immigration custody to Panama, representing the first known instance of such a deportation under the current administration. The group consisted of individuals and families with children from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, and Uzbekistan, as per the official records.

Another military flight scheduled for Thursday is expected to repatriate additional Asian migrants, along with deportees from Africa, including individuals from Cameroon.

Panama's foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday that it had received its first flight under an agreement with the Trump administration, allowing the U.S. to send non-Panamanian migrants to the Central American nation. According to the ministry, the Wednesday flight carried 119 deportees originating from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. The United States is covering all costs associated with the deportation program, the statement added.

This development marks a diplomatic victory for President Trump, reinforcing his administration’s sweeping efforts to curb unauthorized immigration. Panama, a crucial passage for migrants seeking entry into the U.S., has become a key player in regional migration policies.

Historically, the U.S. has encountered difficulties in deporting migrants from Africa and Asia due to logistical challenges posed by long travel distances and limited cooperation from governments in those regions. The New York Times was the first to report on the recent deportation flight involving Asian migrants.

The Trump administration has intensified efforts to persuade countries across the Americas to accept migrants who are difficult to deport, even if they are not nationals of those nations. Both El Salvador and Guatemala have already agreed to receive deportees who are not their citizens. Notably, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has pledged to detain suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua who are expelled from the U.S.

Although the administration has been negotiating additional deportation agreements, it remains uncertain how many more countries will sign on. According to two U.S. officials, one proposed plan involved sending third-country migrants to Guyana, though it remains unclear whether any agreement was finalized.

Panama’s willingness to participate in this arrangement coincides with President Trump’s recent remarks about reclaiming control of the Panama Canal, which the U.S. transferred to Panama in 1999. However, Panamanian officials have firmly rejected this idea and refuted claims from U.S. authorities regarding alleged Chinese influence over canal operations.

In one of his earliest diplomatic missions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama, reinforcing its strategic importance. Last week, the State Department announced that the U.S. had secured an agreement allowing American military vessels to traverse the canal without fees. However, Panama’s president dismissed this claim, labeling it "false" and asserting that no such agreement had been made.

Representatives from the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department have not commented on the deportation flights to Panama.

Like the United States, Panama has faced significant migration challenges in recent years.

The Darién Gap, a once-inaccessible, mountainous jungle spanning the border between Panama and Colombia, has become a major route for migrants traveling through Central America and Mexico in hopes of reaching the U.S.

In 2023, over 500,000 migrants, primarily from Venezuela, crossed the treacherous Darién jungle into Panama, setting a record. Though this number dropped to over 300,000 in 2024, it remains the second-highest annual migration figure recorded by Panamanian authorities.