The United States has begun deporting undocumented migrants from Africa and Asia to Panama as part of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown, according to internal federal documents obtained by CBS News.
On Wednesday, a U.S. military flight transported Asian migrants in immigration custody to Panama, marking the first known deportation of this kind under Trump’s hardline immigration strategy. Among the deportees were adults and families with children from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, and Uzbekistan, as revealed by the documents.
Another deportation flight is scheduled for Thursday, targeting both Asian and African migrants, including individuals from Cameroon, further underscoring the administration’s aggressive approach to border enforcement.
Panama’s foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday that the country had received the first deportation flight under an agreement with the Trump administration. This agreement allows the U.S. to send non-Panamanian deportees to the Central American nation, with the U.S. government covering all associated costs.
According to Panama’s officials, Wednesday’s flight carried 119 deportees from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. The administration considers this a major milestone in its mass deportation agenda.
Historically, deporting African and Asian migrants has been a logistical challenge for U.S. authorities due to long distances and the reluctance of their home countries to accept them back. However, under Trump’s directive, the U.S. has ramped up efforts to strike deals with third-party nations willing to accommodate deported individuals.
The deportations to Panama highlight the Trump administration’s success in pressuring foreign governments to accept non-citizen deportees. El Salvador and Guatemala have already agreed to take in U.S. deportees who are not their nationals. Additionally, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has offered to detain suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua expelled from the U.S.
Two U.S. officials, speaking anonymously to CBS News, disclosed that the administration has also explored sending deported migrants to Guyana, South America.
Reports indicate that Panama’s willingness to accept these deportees coincides with renewed U.S. interest in regaining influence over the strategically vital Panama Canal, which was handed over to Panama in 1999. Trump and several U.S. officials have voiced concerns over alleged Chinese influence in the canal’s operations—a claim Panama’s leadership has strongly refuted.
This latest development comes as Trump’s administration doubles down on aggressive immigration enforcement, seeking broader deportation agreements with multiple nations.
In recent months, Sahara Reporters has documented the administration’s efforts to reshape deportation policies, moving beyond traditional repatriation by persuading third-party countries to accept deportees who are not their own citizens. This shift signals a radical escalation in U.S. immigration control strategies as Trump seeks to bolster his hardline stance ahead of the next election.
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