Press Release
Published on February 22, 2025
Washington, D.C. — In the wake of reports that the Trump administration has deported people seeking asylum from religious and other persecution to Panama and other countries, Human Rights First calls on the administration to stop unlawful deportations, end its 212(f) proclamation, and uphold the laws enacted by Congress to protect people from persecution. The organization also calls on Congress to exercise its oversight authority and ensure that the United States is not allowing taxpayer dollars to fund deportations in violation of our law, and urges the governments of Panama, Costa Rica and other nations to refuse to accept unlawful third country deportations.
“The Trump administration’s horrifying deportations of people seeking asylum violate U.S. and international laws that protect people from return to political, religious and other persecution.” said Eleanor Acer, Senior Director for Global Humanitarian Protection at Human Rights First. “Instead of allowing people seeking protection to have their claims heard, the Trump administration shackled them, denied them access to asylum and put them on a military plane to Panama where they are now held in a detention camp in the jungle. These third country deportations lack legal authority, trample on due process and violate refugee law. The American people want fair and effective immigration and asylum systems, not cruelty, chaos and border theater that endangers the lives of real people and their families. While the Trump administration is brazenly flouting its disrespect for the law, other countries must stand strong and refuse to cave into Trump administration demands that they help carry out policies that violate human rights.”
Recent media reports revealed that the Trump administration’s deportations to Panama included Iranian Christians and other people seeking asylum from persecution in Afghanistan, Iran, China, Uzbekistan and other countries. After being detained under armed guard in a Panama City, many of these people are now being held in a detention camp in the jungle where aid organizations have been denied access. Human Rights First has also, through its research and other work, learned of other families in this group who were seeking U.S. asylum based on fears of persecution but were deported by the United States and are now detained in that horrific detention camp. A plane carrying people from Afghanistan, China, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Uzbekistan and other countries – including 65 children – arrived Thursday night in Costa Rica, where these people are reportedly slated for detention in a remote facility.
