Panama Faces Legal Action Over Detention of U.S. Deportees

A coalition of attorneys has brought a legal case against the nation of Panama, asserting that it has unlawfully detained individuals deported from the U.S. under the migration policies of the Trump administration that shifted migrants to certain cooperating countries in Latin America.

In a lawsuit submitted to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the defendants include 10 Iranian Christians who converted and 102 migrants held near a rainforest in Panama. This lawsuit, referenced by The New York Times, highlights claims against the U.S. for denying asylum based on religious persecution, and against Panama for breaching international obligations like the American Convention on Human Rights.

Legal Claims and Responses

Although currently targeting only Panama, one attorney involved anticipates lodging a separate grievance against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shortly. Meanwhile, Panama's presidential spokeswoman, Astrid Salazar, stated that the migrants aren't technically under Panamanian arrest. Instead, international organizations like the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency are supposedly responsible for these individuals.

Despite these statements, armed Panamanian police are reported to oversee the camp, with Panama’s security officials managing all interactions with the site. The aforementioned international bodies have indicated they’re not administratively responsible but contribute humanitarian aid, such as providing for sustenance.