Migration Policies Fuel Humanitarian Crisis
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reports that US migration policies have trapped tens of thousands of Central American migrants in a spiral of physical, emotional, and institutional violence across Mexico and Central America. Their findings come from medical data analysis and migrant interviews along the perilous migration route stretching from Panama's Darién Gap to northern Mexico.
Policy Impacts on Migration Route
Countries along this route including Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico have implemented strict measures under US pressure. Migrants find themselves stranded - unable to return home due to unresolved economic/social crises yet barred from proceeding northward. The Darién Gap, a roadless rainforest between Colombia and Panama, remains one of the world's most dangerous migration corridors.
Trump's Hardline Measures
On his January 2025 inauguration day, President Trump immediately canceled asylum appointments made through the CBP One app and deployed military to the border. His administration resumed deportations to home countries or third nations like Panama and Costa Rica. Mexico subsequently intensified border security with 10,000 soldiers, while US border apprehensions plummeted to a historic low of 6,000 in June 2025.
Collapsing Support Systems
Migrant shelters in Mexican border cities like Ciudad Juárez now stand empty as international aid dwindles. MSF warns this dispersal makes migrants more vulnerable to exploitation while limiting access to critical mental healthcare. "These policies deliberately hide suffering through false narratives that migration has stopped," states MSF's Frankling Frías.
Regional Camp Conditions
Under US pressure, Costa Rica and Panama established remote jungle camps where authorities confiscate migrants' passports and phones while denying legal assistance. Between January 2024-May 2025, MSF treated nearly 3,000 sexual violence victims and provided 17,000 mental health consultations. The organization anticipates these numbers will rise as anti-migration policies intensify.