‘Please help us’: Hundreds of deported migrants from the US held in Panama hotel

Hundreds of migrants deported from the United States are being held in a luxury hotel in Panama City under tight security, with many pleading for help as their future remains uncertain.

At the Decápolis Hotel, where guests usually enjoy sea views and exclusive amenities, nearly 300 undocumented migrants are now in what Panamanian authorities have termed “temporary custody.” 

In one window, two children held up a sign reading, “Please help us,” while others displayed messages such as, “We are not safe in our country.”

The group, which includes migrants from India, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Vietnam, Turkey, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka, was sent to Panama on three flights last week under an agreement between U.S. and Panamanian authorities. 

President José Raúl Mulino confirmed that Panama had agreed to act as a “bridge” country for deportations as part of ongoing cooperation with the Trump administration’s commitment to removing millions of undocumented migrants.

However, of the 299 migrants, only 171 have agreed to return to their home countries, while the rest face an uncertain fate. 

According to Panamanian officials, they will be transferred to a migrant camp in the Darién province, a region known for its treacherous jungle route used by thousands attempting to reach the U.S.

Strict security measures have been imposed at the Decápolis Hotel, with heavily armed members of the Panamanian National Aeronaval Service stationed both inside and outside the building. 

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From the street, signs of the migrants’ daily life can be seen—laundry hanging in windows, including a Los Angeles Lakers jersey with Kobe Bryant’s number 24. In another window, children and adults raised their arms in a distress signal, while a separate sign read, “Please save the Afghan girls.”

An Iranian woman living in Panama told the BBC that she had been in contact with a migrant inside the hotel, who described feeling “terrified” at the prospect of being sent back to Iran. She attempted to assist as a Farsi translator but was told her help was not needed, something those inside the hotel reportedly denied.

Using a hidden mobile phone, the Iranian migrant told her that children were among those detained, that they had been denied legal assistance, and that they were not allowed to leave their rooms, even to eat. 

Following initial reports about their detention, authorities reportedly cut off internet access and further tightened security around the hotel.

Panama’s Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, defended the government’s decision to hold the migrants under strict conditions, stating, “What we agreed with the US government is that they are here and will remain in our temporary custody for their protection.” 

He also made clear that those unwilling to return home must find a third country willing to take them, with assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

A video posted on social media showed a migrant speaking in Farsi, explaining that she had been detained after crossing the U.S. border and was told she would be sent to Texas—only to end up in Panama. 

She warned that returning to Iran would put her life in danger and expressed her hope of seeking asylum, a process experts say is nearly impossible without legal representation.

Muzaffar Chishti, a senior researcher at the Migration Policy Institute, noted that the U.S. is transferring the burden of deportation to other nations, saying, “By sending them to Panama, the US is out of the picture. It is a headache for Panama to take charge of those negotiations and see how to get those countries to agree to receive them again.”

Another flight carrying deportees from the U.S. is expected to arrive this week in Costa Rica, which has also agreed to serve as a “bridge” nation under a similar deal with Washington. Meanwhile, Panama has stated that no additional deportation flights have been scheduled for now.

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