People from various countries arrived at the United States border seeking asylum, only to be detained, shackled, and flown to Panama by the U.S. military. They were stripped of their passports and most of their cellphones, then locked in a hotel and prevented from seeing lawyers. At least one person attempted suicide, while another broke his leg trying to escape. The new administration under President Trump began exporting migrants from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, and China to Panama, where they are now under the jurisdiction of Panamanian officials. The migrants are being held in a hotel with armed guards preventing them from leaving, despite it being illegal to detain people without a court order for more than 24 hours in Panama. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed that the deported migrants were in the United States illegally and that none of them had expressed fear of returning to their home countries. The migrants, including children, are desperate and afraid for their lives, as they are being held against their will in Panama.
