The Trump administration wasted no time turning words into action. After convincing Panama to accept immigrants from other countries, the United States has already begun deporting undocumented migrants from Africa and Asia to Panama. This move represents a significant diplomatic achievement for Donald Trump’s far-right administration in its massive deportation policy, according to internal documents obtained by CBS News.
On Wednesday, a U.S. military flight transferred Asian migrants detained by immigration authorities in the United States to Panama.
This marks the first deportation of this kind under the Trump administration. Among those deported were adults as well as families with children from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, and Uzbekistan, according to CBS News, which obtained documents from the Trump administration.
A second U.S. military flight, scheduled for Thursday, was set to deport more Asian migrants along with African nationals, including some from Cameroon, reported CBS News.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed it had received the first flight as part of an agreement with the Trump administration, allowing the U.S. to deport non-Panamanians to the Central American country, according to CBS News.
The Panamanian ministry specified that the aircraft that arrived on Wednesday carried 119 individuals expelled from the U.S., originating from various countries, including Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. CBS News also reported that the costs of these deportations would be entirely covered by the United States.
This cooperation represents a major diplomatic victory for the Trump administration, which has intensified efforts to deport undocumented migrants. The U.S. often faces challenges in repatriating migrants from Africa and Asia due to long travel distances and some governments’ refusals to accept American deportation flights, according to CBS News.
These deportations also highlight Washington’s strategy of pressuring Central American countries into accepting migrants who are difficult to repatriate to their countries of origin, CBS News noted.
Other nations in the region have already agreed to accept migrants deported from the U.S., even though they are not their nationals. El Salvador and Guatemala have notably signed similar agreements. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele even stated he was willing to shelter and detain suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua expelled from the United States, CBS News reported.
While the Trump administration seeks to negotiate more such agreements, it remains uncertain how many additional arrangements will materialize. According to two anonymous U.S. officials cited by CBS News, Washington had considered sending some migrants to Guyana, a South American country.
Panama’s acceptance of these deported migrants comes as Donald Trump has expressed interest in regaining control of the Panama Canal, a strategic asset the U.S. ceded to the country in 1999. However, Panamanian authorities have firmly rejected this idea and disputed Trump’s claims about Chinese influence over the canal’s management, CBS News reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama shortly after taking office for his first international trip. Last week, the U.S. State Department announced that an agreement had been reached allowing U.S. military vessels to transit the canal for free. However, the Panamanian president refuted this claim, stating that “this declaration is based on falsehoods,” according to CBS News.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department did not respond to CBS News’ requests for comments on these deportation flights to Panama.
Like the U.S., Panama is facing significant migration pressure, CBS News highlighted.
The Darién Gap, a mountainous and swampy region between Panama and Colombia, has become a key route for migrants attempting to reach North America. In 2023, more than half a million migrants, mostly Venezuelans, crossed this treacherous jungle to enter Panama—a record number. In 2024, this number decreased to around 300,000, mainly due to a program implemented by then-President Joe Biden. Within the first weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump moved to end this parole program.