Lawyers Struggle to Contact Migrants Deported From U.S. To Remote Jungle Camp in Panama: 'They're Disappearing Into a Black Box'

Lawyers representing migrants deported from the United States and sent to a remote camp in Panama report they have been unable to communicate with their clients since their arrival. The 112 individuals are being held in the "San Vicente" immigration center in the dense Darien jungle bordering Colombia, awaiting potential asylum in Panama or relocation elsewhere.

According to Panamanian authorities, the deportees include individuals from Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. The U.S. government has deported approximately 300 people to Panama in recent weeks under a policy that circumvents direct repatriation to countries unwilling to accept deportation flights.

"Individuals, including families like our clients, are being sent to Panama without any screening for asylum and despite not having any connection to Panama," said Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), as reported by The Guardian. "And when they get there, they are disappearing into a black box without access to counsel."

When asked about the lack of legal access, Panama's President José Raúl Mulino stated that he "didn't know" why these individuals had been denied communication with lawyers.

Several attorneys, including those from the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), have reported being unable to reach their clients since their detention. Some deportees had their cell phones confiscated upon arrival.

The Panamanian government insists that the deportations are in its national interest and that it is providing temporary shelter and basic medical and psychological support. "None of them wants to stay in Panama. They want to go to the U.S.," said Carlos Ruiz-Hernandez, Panama's deputy foreign minister in an interview with The Associated Press. He added that some deportees have already been repatriated with U.S.-funded assistance, while others are considering asylum applications.

Costa Rica has also received deportees under similar circumstances. On Tuesday, a flight carrying 65 individuals from the U.S. arrived in San José, bringing the total number of deportees received by the country to 200. The Costa Rican government has placed them in temporary migrant centers while awaiting repatriation or relocation.

The country's Ombudsman's Office, however, has raised concerns about inadequate medical evaluations and the conditions of deportees held in detention facilities near the Panamanian border.

Meanwhile, some migrants originally hoping to reach the U.S. are now traveling southward through Central America. Panama recorded 2,200 people moving in the opposite direction in February.

"We're a reflection of current United States immigration policy," said Harold Villegas-Román, a political science professor and refugee expert at the University of Costa Rica to The Associated Press. "There is no focus on human rights, there is only focus on control and security. Everything is very murky, and not transparent."