Migrants in Limbo: Stranded in Panama After U.S. Deportations**

Dozens of migrants deported from the U.S. are now facing a precarious situation in Panama, questioning their next steps as they struggle to receive adequate support.**

When the initial group of deported migrants arrived in Panama City earlier this month, they seemed lost. Many of the approximately 300 people freed from a jungle detention camp appeared physically unwell, with serious medical needs that had to be addressed. A lawyer noted that one individual required immediate H.I.V. treatment, while another had run out of insulin and a third was experiencing seizures.

"Where am I going to go?" was a common refrain echoing among the newly released deportees, who felt engulfed by confusion and fear. Their deportation was part of the Trump administration's extensive strategy to remove millions of undocumented individuals from the U.S., leaving many stranded and vulnerable.

Initially, Panamanian authorities confined the migrants in a hotel before moving those refusing repatriation to their homelands to a guarded camp. Following legal action and protests from human rights organizations, the government eventually released these individuals, busing them into Panama City.

Now, the migrants—who hail from countries including Iran, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Uzbekistan—are without direction in a nation that is largely unwelcoming. Many are currently sheltering in a school gymnasium facilitated by an aid organization but face an uncertain fate with no clear guidance on what steps they should take next.