In a luxury Decápolis Hotel room in Panama City, two young girls press a piece of paper against the window, bearing a desperate plea: “Please help us.” Once a haven for travelers, the hotel—equipped with sea-view rooms, exclusive restaurants, a swimming pool, and a spa—has now been repurposed as a temporary detention center for nearly 300 undocumented migrants deported from the U.S., according to an announcement by the Panamanian government on Tuesday.
Signs of Desperation Behind Locked Doors
Inside the hotel, migrants express their distress through silent gestures. Some raise their arms, crossing them at the wrists—a universal signal of captivity—while others display handwritten messages reading, “We are not safe in our country.”
Tighter security measures have transformed the hotel, with heavily armed officers from Panama’s National Aeronaval Service stationed both inside and outside the premises. From the street, laundry hangs from windows, including a Los Angeles Lakers jersey bearing Kobe Bryant’s number 24. In another window, three children press their hands against the glass, using the international symbol for needing assistance, while others display signs reading: “Please save the Afghan girls.”
Panama Becomes a ‘Bridge’ for U.S. Deportations
The mass deportation follows a new agreement between Panama and the U.S., under which the Central American nation has become a transit hub for deportees. The Trump administration’s pledge to deport millions of undocumented immigrants has led to increased removals, with three recent flights landing in Panama City carrying deportees from India, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Vietnam, Turkey, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.
Out of the 299 migrants detained at Decápolis, only 171 have agreed to return to their home countries. The fate of the remaining individuals remains uncertain, as Panama assumes responsibility for deciding their next steps.
Uncertain Future: Relocation to Darién Jungle
Authorities have announced that those who refuse to return to their countries will be transferred to a migrant camp in Darién, a jungle region known as a treacherous passage for migrants heading north to the U.S..
For now, migrants inside Decápolis remain confined, with reports of restricted movement, no legal assistance, and limited access to communication. An Iranian woman living in Panama, who attempted to offer translation services to detainees, stated that migrants inside the hotel are terrified of being forcibly sent back to their home countries.
She relayed messages from detainees, reporting that some migrants are held with children, denied legal counsel, and not even allowed to leave their rooms for meals. Security restrictions have tightened since reports of their detention surfaced, with internet access inside the hotel reportedly cut off.
Panama’s Response and International Involvement
Panama’s Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, defended the government’s actions, stating that migrants must remain inside the hotel for security reasons and that Panama is acting in accordance with its agreement with the U.S.
For those unwilling to return home, Ábrego emphasized that they must seek a third country for asylum. In such cases, organizations like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would take charge of their relocation.
An IOM spokesperson acknowledged the situation, stating that the organization is focused on providing essential humanitarian support, facilitating voluntary returns, and seeking safe alternatives for those unable to go back to their countries.
However, without legal representation, applying for asylum remains a significant challenge. A viral video posted online shows a Farsi-speaking migrant recounting how she was detained at the U.S. border, falsely told she would be sent to Texas, only to find herself in Panama. She fears severe government retaliation if returned to Iran and hopes to seek political asylum—an option that may prove elusive.
U.S. Strategy: Shifting the Deportation Burden
Experts believe this deportation strategy allows the U.S. to outsource complex diplomatic negotiations. According to Muzaffar Chishti, a senior researcher at the Migration Policy Institute, many deportees originate from countries that refuse to accept repatriation of their nationals. By sending them to Panama, the burden shifts to the host country to negotiate their fate.
Meanwhile, another flight carrying deportees is scheduled to land in Costa Rica, another nation that has agreed to act as a “bridge” country for U.S. deportations.
As deportation flights continue, so do the pleas from migrants stranded in Panama, desperately seeking a future beyond the walls of the Decápolis Hotel.
