Woman expelled to Panama attempts suicide in detention — 'I felt overwhelmed. I never expected to be released'
Feb 2025·Location: San Diego, CA
DeportationThird Country DeportationDetention ConditionsAsylum SeekerSuicideIn DetentionDetention TransferCalifornia
Zara, a woman whose country of origin was withheld for her safety, was detained in the U.S. for 17 days during which she never spoke to her family or a lawyer and was never asked why she came to the U.S. She received no documents from her time in detention. She was transferred to California in handcuffs, placed on a military cargo plane without explanation, and taken to Panama. She was confined to her room at the Decapolis Hotel and could not contact her family. At the San Vicente detention center in the Darién jungle, she attempted suicide because she felt overwhelmed. She said she never expected to be released.
Sources
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