Panama Elects President Vowing Shutdown Of Key Routes To US Used By Over Half A Million Migrants

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

A tiny Central American country’s new president-elect is vowing to shut down a key corridor heavily used by migrants to enter the U.S.

Panamanian voters on Sunday elected center-right candidate Jose Raul Mulino as their new leader. The president-elect has notably vowed to shut down the trails used by hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants that run through the Darien Gap, a vast jungle region that sits across the Panama-Colombia border, and return them back to their home countries.

The 64-year-old lawyer was elected on a largely conservative platform, pledging to run a pro-private enterprise, pro-investment government and a crackdown on drug cartels, according to Bloomberg.

“The border of the United States, instead of being in Texas, moved to Panama,” Mulino said on the campaign trail, according to the Guardian. “We’re going to close the Darien and we’re going to repatriate all these people.”

Panama has served as a pivotal transit country for migrants beginning their journey in South America. More than half a million migrants crossed the Darien Gap en route to the U.S. in 2023, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

That number was double the nearly 250,000 migrants that crossed in 2022 and a significant increase from the few hundred who would cross annually a decade prior. While most of the migrants that cross the Darien Gap are Venezuelan nationals, others come from Ecuador, Haiti and also Africa and Asian countries.

With more than 90% of the votes tallied, Mulino held roughly 34% of the vote, a clear plurality over the 25% carried by nearest rival Ricardo Lombana, according to Bloomberg, and he is now due to assume office on July 1.

The number of illegal immigrants crossing the Darien Gap is expected to beat last year’s record, Juan Pappier, the Americas deputy director at Human Rights Watch, said to the Guardian. Given the first few months, the number could be as high as 700,000 or even reach 800,000 in 2024.

Mulino’s presidential victory and vow to close the gap are happening as the U.S. is months out from a presidential election, where illegal immigration has become a top concern among voters. The U.S.-Mexico border has experienced record-setting illegal migration under the current administration.

Since President Joe Biden took office, at least 6 million encounters have taken place at the southern border.

It remains to be seen how Mulino can effectively stop the flow of migrants through Panama.

Pappier framed the idea of shutting down the Darien Gap to be “virtually impossible“, given the rough terrain and dangerous drug cartels that have a presence in the region, according to the Guardian. Other experts have questioned whether Mulino is simply saying something American leaders want to hear, given the relative indifference Panamanian citizens actually have for irregular migration at the moment.

Related Topics:#DailyCaller #DarienGap #IllegalImmigration #IllegalMigrants #JasonHopkins #PanamaPresidentElectJoseRaulMulino

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New program offers illegals $1,000 and flights to self-deport

Published on May 6, 2025

Todayville

MxM News

Quick Hit:

The Trump admin will now cover the cost of flights for illegal immigrants who voluntarily leave the U.S. and provide them with a $1,000 stipend after their departure is confirmed. DHS estimates the move will save taxpayers 70% compared to traditional arrest and deportation efforts.

Key Details:

According to Fox News’s Bill Melugin, DHS will announce a new policy that funds commercial airfare for illegal aliens who register to self-deport through the CBP Home app and follow through on leaving the country.
Once an individual’s exit is confirmed through the app, they will receive a $1,000 stipend. DHS says this approach reduces the average cost per removal from $17,000 to just $4,500.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized that this method avoids arrest and detention, calling it the “safest option” for both law enforcement and the migrants involved.

If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest.

DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App.

This is… pic.twitter.com/2f02wLWQi5

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 5, 2025

Diving Deeper:

The Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration is rolling out a new initiative aimed at encouraging voluntary self-deportation among illegal immigrants by offering financial incentives and logistical assistance. As first reported by Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, the department will now pay for the commercial airfare of those who choose to leave the country voluntarily and will provide a $1,000 stipend once their departure is verified.

A DHS spokesperson told Fox News the program is expected to reduce deportation costs by over 70%, cutting the average expense from more than $17,000 per removal to approximately $4,500. “This will be safer for ICE and preserve their resources,” the department said, highlighting the policy’s benefits for both enforcement and fiscal responsibility.

Illegal immigrants who wish to participate must register via the CBP Home app and notify authorities of their intent to leave. Once they do so, they will be deprioritized for ICE enforcement and maintain the possibility of legally returning to the United States in the future. According to DHS’s official website, participants in the program may be eligible for financial assistance, help with travel documents, and logistical coordination to arrange departure within roughly three weeks of approval.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised the program, saying: “If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” she said. “This is the safest option for our law enforcement, aliens, and is a 70% savings for US taxpayers. Download the CBP Home App TODAY and self-deport.”

Daily Caller

DOJ Releases Dossier Of Deported Maryland Man’s Alleged MS-13 Gang Ties

Published on April 17, 2025

Todayville

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Katelynn Richardson

The Department of Justice (DOJ) released documents Wednesday demonstrating Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia’s membership in the MS-13 gang.

Abrego Garcia’s police interview, immigration court rulings and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deportable/inadmissible alien record highlighting his membership in the gang, which he has disputed in court, are included in the release.

In a December 2019 decision, the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed Abrego Garcia’s challenge to an immigration judge’s factual finding that he is “a verified member of MS-13.”

The board found the immigration judge “appropriately considered allegations of gang affiliation against the respondent in determining that he has not demonstrated that he is not a danger to property or persons.”

Officers found Abrego Garcia loitering in a Home Depot parking lot on March 28, 2019, wearing “a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie with rolls of money covering the eyes, ears and mouth of the presidents on the separate denominations,” the initial Prince George’s County Police Department Gang Field Interview Sheet states.

“Wearing the Chicago Bulls hat represents that they are a member in good standing with the MS-13,” the document states. “Officers contacted a past proven and reliable source of information, who advised Kilmar Armando ABREGO-GARCIA is an active member of MS-13 with the Westerns clique. The confidential source further advised that he is the rank of ‘Chequeo’ with the moniker of ‘Chele.’”

The administration became embroiled in a legal dispute after Abrego Garcia, who entered the country illegally in 2011, was deported in March to El Salvador as a result of an error. In court records, they argued Abrego Garcia could not “relitigate the finding that he is a danger to the community.”

A lower court ordered his return, but the Supreme Court required it to clarify the order and directed the administration to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated Wednesday that it would appeal the amended order Judge Paula Xinis issued which directed the government to “take all available steps to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States as soon as possible.”

During a Monday meeting with President Donald Trump, El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said he would not “smuggle” a terrorist into the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also released court filings Wednesday showing Abrego Garcia’s wife requested a domestic violence restraining order against him.