logo
She was expelled from the United States, but still thought America would help. She was wrong

She was expelled from the United States, but still thought America would help. She was wrong

CNN30-03-2025
She asked to be identified only as 'Ambo,' out of fear of being recognized back in her home country.
'Life is very difficult for me,' she told CNN from a school-turned-shelter on a humidly hot day in Panama City, Panama.
Over the ambient noise of blade fans attempting to cool the large room, she explained she left her native country of Cameroon due to 'political issues,' fearing that she would either be 'sentenced dead' or spend the rest of her life in prison if she stayed.
She remembers arriving at the US-Mexico border on January 23 – three days after US President Trump's inauguration – after trekking through Central America and the dangerous Darién jungle.
She turned herself in to United States Customs and Border Protection in hopes of making her case for asylum. By her count she spent 19 days in US custody, then finally got that chance – or so she thought.
Just after midnight on February 13, by her recollection, she and other migrants were loaded onto a bus where they drove for hours.
'We were so happy thinking that they were going to transfer us to a camp where we are going to meet an immigration officer,' she recalled.
She still thought that when she was loaded onto a plane, believing they were headed to another facility in the United States. But when they landed, they were in Panama.
'We're asking them why are they bringing us to Panama? 'Why are we in Panama?'' she said, 'People started crying.'
Even still, she was optimistic.
'We're like thinking maybe the camp in the US is full. That is why they are bringing us here. When it will be our turn, they will come and take us to give us a listening ear,' she said.
But the Panamanian government took them to a hotel in Panama City, guarded tightly by security, no phones, and limited access to the outside world, according to multiple migrants CNN spoke to. Panama's Security Minister Frank Ábrego previously told a local radio program the deportees were held at the hotel, in part, because officials needed to 'effectively verify who these people are who are arriving in our country.'
Even in a new country, under a new government authority, she held out hope someone from the United States government would step in and fix the situation.
'We were somehow happy that maybe the immigration from the US would come to Panama to listen to our stories,' she told CNN, now fighting back tears.
'It wasn't the case.' Her voice cracked, recalling the moment her optimism shattered.
This is the downstream reality of an increased immigration crackdown in the United States, which the Trump administration has pressured Latin American countries like Panama, Costa Rica, and El Salvador to help with.
Just days before she arrived at the border, Trump had signed an executive order effectively shutting down the US-Mexico border to migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Weeks later, the Panamanian government agreed to receive some of those migrants, at least temporarily, and took in nearly 300.
Many are asylum-seekers from places like Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, China, Sri Lanka. They are now are caught in limbo – expelled from the United States, but unable to go back to their home countries out of fear of being persecuted or killed.
'They shouldn't just like abandon us like that without telling us what we have done wrong. It become very, very difficult and confusing to us. I've left my children back home,' Ambo said through tears.
Another woman from Ethiopia, was on a similar flight. She too requested not to use her name for fear of retaliation in her home country.
'I am so shocked. I'm saying this is Texas or Panama?' she recalled.
She told CNN she too had trekked through Central America, injuring her leg in the Darién jungle, to reach the US-Mexico border. She said she too had left Ethiopia due to political issues and feared returning.
'I don't have family. They died already,' she told CNN.
And a fellow asylum-seeker migrant Afghanistan, who did not want to share his identity, told CNN en Español's Elizabeth Gonzalez that if he were to return to Afghanistan, he would be killed by the Taliban.
They all now live in a humble shelter, one of multiple places in Panama where these migrants are trying to navigate life, in a country where they don't speak the language.
'Almost all of us are from different countries, but here we are like family, you know?' said the woman from Ethiopia.
As she sat with CNN, mattresses on the floor lining the edges of the room, she said, 'We are together. Everyone is in distress. Everyone is in a bad situation.'
Days after they were initially brought to a Panamanian hotel, the migrants were loaded onto buses again. They expected to be moved to another hotel, Ambo says.
But the drive stretched on for hours, until they arrived at a facility over a hundred miles outside of Panama City on the outskirts of the Darién jungle near the border with Colombia.
'Are you going to kill us? Why are you bringing us here?' she recalled asking in fear, 'Bringing us in this place, a forest. What is going to happen to us?'
Artemis Ghasemzadeh, an English teacher from Iran, remembers crying after being expelled from the United States on her February birthday.
'I changed my religion in Iran and the punishment of that is may be a long prison or at the end is death,' she told CNN. 'They took two of my friends from the underground church, so I understand it's time to go. The next is me,' she added.
In February she was seen in a window of the migrant hotel with the words 'Help Us' written across the window.
Days later she was at this Panamanian jungle camp, known as the San Vicente shelter, with over 100 other migrants who were in the same situation as hers.
'The food was really disgusting,' said Ghasemzadeh. 'The bathroom was really dirty, no privacy, no door,' she added.
Salam said the water for bathing was not clean, causing hives to break out on her skin. She pulled up a pant leg to show the marks on her skin. 'All my body is like this,' she said.
Panama's President José Raúl Mulino has repeatedly denied that authorities have violated the deportees' rights. Reached for comment about conditions at the camp, a spokesperson from the Panamanian Security Minister's office deferred to the International Office for Migration (IOM), which assists migrants.
A spokesperson at IOM stressed, however, that handling the deportees is a 'government-led operation,' telling CNN 'we did not have direct involvement in the detention or restriction of movement of individuals.'
Through every step of the way, attorneys for these migrants argue their rights were violated.
'Our claim is that America violated the right to seek asylum and by extension, by receiving them, the Panamanian government did the same thing,' said Silvia Serna Román, regional litigator for Mexico and Central America for the Global Strategic Litigation Council. 'Even though they all claim to be to be asylum seekers, they have never had their right to be heard,' she added.
Serna Román is part of a group of international lawyers that filed a lawsuit against Panama on these alleged violations in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Ian Kysel, who is also part of that group, has previously said they are exploring a range of further legal actions, including against US-specific entities and other countries that might be taking in deported or expelled US migrants.
Panama has denied any wrongdoing in this saga.
In early March, the Panamanian government released the over 100 migrants from the remote jungle camp, but gave them 30-day 'humanitarian' permits, extendable up to 90 days, to find another place to go or risk deportation from Panama.
'We're also trying to navigate the terms of those permits,' Serna Román explained. 'If they're only given 90 days and the 90 days come up then they might be forcibly removed and they might be like involuntarily be taken back to their countries and that's our concern,' she added.
All the migrants CNN and CNN en Español spoke to said going back to their countries simply was not an option.
'Asylum means I'm not safe in my country, I need help. Just that. I'm not criminal. I'm educated person and just need help,' Ghasemzadeh explained.
'If I come back to my country, my government will kill me, so in Panama they are free to kill me,' she added.
Aurelio Martinez, a spokesperson in Panama's security ministry, told CNN that after the 90-day period it would be studied whether to grant another extension or if their status would become illegal.
When CNN pressed on whether that could trigger forcible repatriation, Martinez simply said they will review each case individually, that Panama always supports migrants and human rights, and that they intend to maintain that support and commitment.
Ambo, her life now in a demoralizing standstill, still dreams about the United States, even though she has no idea when this nightmare will end.
'America has always been a country that received people from all over the whole world. I believe that is why many people are going towards the USA for to seek for asylum,' she said.
'They should listen to us and see if they can permit us to stay or not because when you don't listen to somebody, it means that human rights does not exist again in America.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit
Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit

Los Angeles Times

time19 minutes ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit

EDINBURGH, Scotland — President Trump played golf Saturday at his course on Scotland's coast while protesters around the country took to the streets to decry his visit and accuse United Kingdom leaders of pandering to the unpopular American president. Trump and his son Eric played with the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, near Turnberry, a historic course that the Trump family's company took over in 2014. Security was tight, and protesters kept at a distance were unseen by the group during Trump's round. He was dressed in black with a white 'USA' cap and was spotted driving a golf cart. The president appeared to play an opening nine holes, stop for lunch, then head out for nine more. By the middle of the afternoon, plainclothes security officials began leaving, suggesting Trump was done for the day. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the cobblestone and tree-lined street in front of the U.S. Consulate about 100 miles away in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital. Speakers told the crowd that Trump was not welcome and criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for striking a recent trade deal to avoid stiff U.S. tariffs on goods imported from the U.K. Protests were planned in other cities as environmental activists, opponents of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and pro-Ukraine groups loosely formed a 'Stop Trump Coalition.' Anita Bhadani, an organizer, said the protests were 'kind of like a carnival of resistance.' June Osbourne, 52, a photographer and photo historian from Edinburgh, wore a red cloak and white hood, recalling 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Osbourne held up a picture of Trump with 'Resist' stamped over his face. 'I think there are far too many countries that are feeling the pressure of Trump and that they feel that they have to accept him, and we should not accept him here,' Osbourne said. The dual U.S.-British citizen said the Republican president was 'the worst thing that has happened to the world, the U.S., in decades.' Trump's late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, and the president has suggested he feels at home in the country. But the protesters did their best to change that. 'I don't think I could just stand by and not do anything,' said Amy White, 15, of Edinburgh, who attended with her parents. She held a cardboard sign that said, 'We don't negotiate with fascists.' 'So many people here loathe him,' she said. 'We're not divided. We're not divided by religion, or race or political allegiance, we're just here together because we hate him.' Other demonstrators held signs of pictures with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, as the fervor over files in the late child abuser's case has created a political crisis for the president. In the view of Mark Gorman, 63, of Edinburgh, 'The vast majority of Scots have this sort of feeling about Trump that, even though he has Scottish roots, he's a disgrace.' Gorman, who works in advertising, said he came out 'because I have deep disdain for Donald Trump and everything that he stands for.' A Scottish newspaper, the National, greeted Trump's arrival with a banner headline in its Friday edition that read, 'Convicted U.S. felon to arrive in Scotland.' Saturday's protests were not nearly as large as the throngs that demonstrated across Scotland when Trump played at Turnberry during his first term in 2018. But, as bagpipes played, people chanted, 'Trump out!' and raised dozens of homemade signs with such messages as 'No red carpet for dictators,' 'We don't want you here' and 'Stop Trump. Migrants welcome.' One dog had a sign attached that said 'No treats for tyrants.' Some on the far right took to social media to call for gatherings supporting Trump in places such as Glasgow. Trump also plans to talk trade with Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. But golf is a major focus. The family will also visit another Trump course near Aberdeen in northeastern Scotland, before returning to Washington on Tuesday. The Trumps will cut the ribbon and play a new, second course in that area, which officially opens to the public next month. Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who is also set to meet with Trump during the visit, announced that public money will go to staging the 2025 Nexo Championship, previously known previously as the Scottish Championship, at Trump's first course near Aberdeen next month. 'The Scottish government recognizes the importance and benefits of golf and golf events, including boosting tourism and our economy,' Swinney said. At a protest Saturday in Aberdeen, Scottish Parliament member Maggie Chapman told the crowd of hundreds: 'We stand in solidarity, not only against Trump but against everything he and his politics stand for.' The president has long lobbied for Turnberry to host the British Open, which it has not done since he took over ownership. In a social media post Saturday, Trump quoted the retired golfer Gary Player as saying Turnberry was among the 'Top Five Greatest Golf Courses' he had played in as a professional. The president, in the post, misspelled the city where his golf course is. Weissert writes for the Associated Press.

David Letterman on ‘gutless' cancellation of Colbert's show: ‘Pure cowardice'
David Letterman on ‘gutless' cancellation of Colbert's show: ‘Pure cowardice'

The Hill

time19 minutes ago

  • The Hill

David Letterman on ‘gutless' cancellation of Colbert's show: ‘Pure cowardice'

Comedian David Letterman on Friday joined the chorus of late-night hosts to bash CBS News after it announced it would sunset 'The Late Show' after more than three decades on air, while praising host Stephen Colbert as a 'martyr.' Letterman — the show's first host — alluded to the recent $16 million settlement between CBS's parent company Paramount Global and the Trump administration, and its expected merger with entertainment giant Skydance, when he called the decision to nix the program 'gutless.' 'I think one day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed because this is gutless,' he said during a recorded chat with his former 'Late Show' producers Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay. 'I only wish this could happen to me. This would have been so great for me.' Paramount called the move 'purely a financial decision' and not related to the show's performance or content. Letterman, like other press advocates and some Democrats, did not seem satisfied with that answer. Instead, the 'Late Show' veteran cast the blame on who he called the 'Oracle twins,' referring to billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David Ellison, who is set to lead the 'New Paramount' after the Federal Communications Commission gave the greenlight for Skydance to acquire the company. The merger is expected to be completed by Aug. 7. 'There's no fairness to these goons,' Letterman said, adding 'These guys are bottom feeders. That's exactly what this is.' 'Of course, they know that broadcast television is withering, so now they want, just want to make sure on top of buying something that doesn't have the same value as it had 30 years ago. They don't want to be hassled by the United States government,' he continued. 'So, they want CBS to take care of all of that mess.' The comedian also blasted CBS's decision to settle with Trump after he sued '60 Minutes' over an interview with former Vice President Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign as 'pure cowardice.' Top names in late-night television — such as Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers — have defended Colbert, who has openly raised concerns over Paramount's recent decisions. Letterman was no different. 'Now, for Stephen, I love this. He's a martyr. Good for him, right?' he told his former producers. 'Now we've all got to kiss Stephen Colbert's ring now,' he quipped later. 'And if you listen carefully, you can hear them unfolding chairs at the Hall of Fame for his induction, right?' Colbert, who took the reins from Letterman in 2015, has gone back-and-forth with Trump in recent days. 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,' the president wrote in a post on Truth Social earlier this week after the company revealed it would end the show in May 2026. The comedian replied, 'How dare you, sir. Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism: 'Go f‑‑‑ yourself.''

President Donald Trump says Japan will invest $550 billion in US at his direction. It may not be a sure thing.
President Donald Trump says Japan will invest $550 billion in US at his direction. It may not be a sure thing.

Chicago Tribune

time19 minutes ago

  • Chicago Tribune

President Donald Trump says Japan will invest $550 billion in US at his direction. It may not be a sure thing.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is bragging that Japan has given him, as part of a new trade framework, $550 billion to invest in the United States. It's an astonishing figure, but still subject to negotiation and perhaps not the sure thing he's portraying. 'Japan is putting up $550 billion in order to lower their tariffs a little bit,' Trump said Thursday. 'They put up, as you could call it, seed money. Let's call it seed money.' He said 90% of any profits from the money invested would go to the U.S. even if Japan had put up the funds. 'It's not a loan or anything, it's a signing bonus,' the Republican president said, on the trade framework that lowered his threatened tariff from 25% to 15%, including on autos. A White House official said the terms are being negotiated and nothing has been formalized in writing. The official, who insisted on anonymity to detail the terms of the talks, suggested the goal was for the $550 billion fund to make investments at Trump's direction. The sum is significant: It would represent more than 10% of Japan's entire gross domestic product. The Japan External Trade Organization estimates that direct investment into the U.S. economy topped $780 billion in 2023. It is unclear the degree to which the $550 billion could represent new investment or flow into existing investment plans. What the trade framework announced Tuesday has achieved is a major talking point for the Trump administration. The president has claimed to have brought trillions of dollars in new investment into the U.S., though the impact of those commitments have yet to appear in the economic data for jobs, construction spending or manufacturing output. The framework also enabled Trump to say other countries are agreeing to have their goods taxed, even if some of the cost of those taxes are ultimately passed along to U.S. consumers. On the $550 billion, Japan's Cabinet Office said it involves the credit facility of state-affiliated financial institutions, such as Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Further details would be decided based on the progress of the investment deals. Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, upon returning to Japan, did not discuss the terms of the $550 billion investment. Akazawa said he believes a written joint statement is necessary, at least on working levels, to avoid differences. He is not thinking about a legally binding trade pact. The U.S. apparently released its version of the deal while Japanese officials were on their return flight home. 'If we find differences of understanding, we may have to point them out and say 'that's not what we discussed,'' Akazawa said. The U.S. administration said the fund would be invested in critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, computer chips and shipbuilding, among other industries. It has said Japan will also buy 100 airplanes from Boeing and rice from U.S. farmers as part of the framework, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said would be evaluated every three months. 'And if the president is unhappy, then they will boomerang back to the 25% tariff rates, both on cars and the rest of their products. And I can tell you that I think at 25, especially in cars, the Japanese economy doesn't work,' Bessent told Fox News' 'The Ingraham Angle.' Akazawa denied that Bessent's quarterly review was part of the negotiations. 'In my past eight trips to the United States during which I held talks with the president and the ministers,' Akazawa said. 'I have no recollection of discussing how we ensure the implementation of the latest agreement between Japan and the United States.' He said it would cause major disruptions to the economy and administrative processes if the rates first rise to 25% as scheduled on Aug. 1 and then drop to 15%. 'We definitely want to avoid that and I believe that is the understanding shared by the U.S. side,' he said. On buying U.S. rice, Japanese officials have said they have no plans to raise the current 770,000-ton 'minimum access' cap to import more from America. Agricultural Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan will decide whether to increase U.S. rice imports and that Japan is not committed to a fixed quota. Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, has suggested that the Japanese agreement is putting pressure on other countries such as South Korea to strike deals with the U.S. Trump, who is traveling in Scotland, plans to meet on Sundayv with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss trade. 'Whatever Donald Trump wants to build, the Japanese will finance it for him,' Lutnick said Thursday on CNBC. 'Pretty amazing.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store