Migrant crossings through the once-notorious Darien Gap have dropped by a staggering 99% since US President Donald Trump returned to office and enacted his sweeping immigration crackdown, reported the New York Post.
Only 408 migrants were recorded traversing the perilous jungle route in February, down sharply from the 37,166 who made the journey during the same month in 2024 under President Joe Biden, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data.
The Darien Gap, a rugged 70-mile stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama, had become a heavily trafficked corridor for migrants from around the world, especially during Biden’s term.
But since Trump’s inauguration, photos show the river port of Lajas Blancas, previously overwhelmed by migrants, now eerily empty, its tents abandoned and its riverbanks quiet, according to the news agency Associated Press.
“Effectively, the border with Darien is closed,” Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino declared last month, vowing to shut down the route entirely. Mulino, a conservative ally of Trump, has been instrumental in sealing off the jungle crossing, which had once seen over 16,000 migrants a week in 2022, according to DHS estimates.
Aid groups such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders have left the area and only a handful of stranded migrants remain, mostly from Venezuela, Angola and Nigeria. Among them is 33-year-old Hermanie Blanco, who arrived just days after Trump took office. “It’s deserted,” Blanco was quoted by AP. “Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross — no one comes here anymore”, Blanco added.
The Biden administration had seen record-breaking crossings in the region, with over 500,000 migrants trekking through the Darien in 2023 alone, reported AP.
However, Trump’s return has brought a swift and dramatic reversal. His administration’s policies, including a near-total shutdown of asylum access at the US-Mexico border and aggressive deportation measures, have triggered what analysts are calling a “reverse flow” of migration.
Some, like Blanco, are now attempting to return to their home countries, traveling by boat along Panama’s Caribbean coast.
The US state department recently acknowledged Panama’s efforts, saying migration through the Darién region had dropped by 98%. In coordination with Trump's border strategy, Latin American countries have also stepped up enforcement under pressure from Washington.
A sign at the Lajas Blancas camp now reads, “Darien is not a route, it’s a jungle,” in multiple languages, a stark warning to would-be migrants that the once-bustling path north is now effectively sealed.
Only 408 migrants were recorded traversing the perilous jungle route in February, down sharply from the 37,166 who made the journey during the same month in 2024 under President Joe Biden, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data.
The Darien Gap, a rugged 70-mile stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama, had become a heavily trafficked corridor for migrants from around the world, especially during Biden’s term.
But since Trump’s inauguration, photos show the river port of Lajas Blancas, previously overwhelmed by migrants, now eerily empty, its tents abandoned and its riverbanks quiet, according to the news agency Associated Press.
“Effectively, the border with Darien is closed,” Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino declared last month, vowing to shut down the route entirely. Mulino, a conservative ally of Trump, has been instrumental in sealing off the jungle crossing, which had once seen over 16,000 migrants a week in 2022, according to DHS estimates.
Aid groups such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders have left the area and only a handful of stranded migrants remain, mostly from Venezuela, Angola and Nigeria. Among them is 33-year-old Hermanie Blanco, who arrived just days after Trump took office. “It’s deserted,” Blanco was quoted by AP. “Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross — no one comes here anymore”, Blanco added.
The Biden administration had seen record-breaking crossings in the region, with over 500,000 migrants trekking through the Darien in 2023 alone, reported AP.
However, Trump’s return has brought a swift and dramatic reversal. His administration’s policies, including a near-total shutdown of asylum access at the US-Mexico border and aggressive deportation measures, have triggered what analysts are calling a “reverse flow” of migration.
Some, like Blanco, are now attempting to return to their home countries, traveling by boat along Panama’s Caribbean coast.
The US state department recently acknowledged Panama’s efforts, saying migration through the Darién region had dropped by 98%. In coordination with Trump's border strategy, Latin American countries have also stepped up enforcement under pressure from Washington.
A sign at the Lajas Blancas camp now reads, “Darien is not a route, it’s a jungle,” in multiple languages, a stark warning to would-be migrants that the once-bustling path north is now effectively sealed.
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