The Darien Gap is a stretch of dense, uninhabited wilderness between Panama and Colombia that migrants use to traverse Central and South America. Now, the man tapped to lead Donald Trump’s immigration efforts says the incoming administration will work to shut it down.
For migrants, the Darien Gap has become a major, often dangerous, passageway on their journey from South America to North America, particularly as many seek to reach the United States.
Migrants from countries like Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras and others often use the route as part of a larger migration journey. They’re fleeing poverty, violence and political instability in their home countries.
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For more than a decade, Venezuelans have been fleeing their homes due to a combination of economic hardship, political repression, violent crime and a lack of basic services. Many hope to build a better future in neighboring countries or further abroad.
Trump administration plans to ‘shut down’ the Darien Gap
President-elect Donald Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, told NBC News that the incoming administration would shut down the Darien Gap to help curb illegal migration.
“We’re going to shut the Darien Gap down,” Homan told NBC News.
When asked if the Trump administration would work with the Panamanian government or use the military to shut it down, Homan said, “We’re always going to work with a foreign government. But it needs to happen. It’ll save thousands of lives.”
Shutting down the Darien Gap could be a complex challenge. It would require a multifaceted approach that combines infrastructure, law enforcement, diplomacy and humanitarian efforts between the U.S. and Panamanian governments.
Panama’s response to migration
Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino, has been in office for just over six months. Last year, he promised to take a tougher stance on migration.
Mulino’s administration installed barbed wire fences in the Darien, imposed fines and deported migrants using U.S.-funded flights.
“We are working every day to ensure that illegal migration does not reach Panama City or the rest of the country,” Mulino told lawmakers on Jan. 2.
Decline in migration numbers
According to Panama’s migration authorities, 302,203 migrants traversed the Darien Gap in 2024. That’s 42% fewer than the record number of 520,085 migrants who crossed the jungle passageway the year prior, Reuters reported.
Challenges for U.S. immigration enforcement
Trump and Homan have promised mass deportations of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. However, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is dealing with a budget shortfall of $230 million, U.S. officials told NBC News.
Both Trump and Homan have stated there is no price tag when it comes to getting violent criminal migrants off the streets and back to their home countries.
