❓WHAT HAPPENED: Panama’s Darien Gap, a dangerous but once-busy route for migrants heading to the U.S., is now nearly deserted due to President Donald J. Trump’s immigration crackdown.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, and U.S. border officials.
📍WHEN & WHERE: June 2025, Darien Gap, Panama.
💬KEY QUOTE: “In Panama’s Darien Gap, migrants are turning BACK before they even reach our border—only 10 migrants crossed in June,” said Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
🎯IMPACT: Migrant crossings in the Darien Gap have dropped to nearly zero, reflecting the effectiveness of the Trump administration’s border policies.
Once a major corridor for U.S.-bound migration, Panama’s treacherous Darién Gap has seen a dramatic decline in crossings. According to Panama’s migration authorities, only 10 individuals crossed the dense jungle in June 2025, marking a near-total collapse in traffic along what became a heavily used migrant route under former President Joe Biden.
The sudden drop follows the return of President Donald J. Trump’s hardline immigration policies, which include greatly strengthened border enforcement and efforts to orchestrate mass deportations. These measures stand in sharp contrast to conditions under the former Biden regime, when crossings through the region, once deemed impassable, surged.
In February 2024 alone, 37,166 migrants passed through the Darién Gap, and in 2022, the weekly average reached approximately 16,400. In 2023, over 530,000 migrants traversed the route, usually aided by organized smuggling networks.
Highlighting the change, U.S. Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted, “In Panama’s Darien Gap, migrants are turning BACK before they even reach our border—only 10 migrants crossed in June. The world is hearing our message that America’s borders are closed to lawbreakers.”
This view is supported by figures from the U.S. southern border, where apprehensions of illegal migrants have sharply declined. Border Patrol agents reported only about 6,000 arrests in June, none of whom were released into the country. This is a steep drop compared to previous years: 83,000 in June 2024, 99,000 in June 2023, and 192,000 in June 2022, per U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.
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