For more on Panama's role in receiving hundreds of migrants, the Trump administration has deported.

We turn now to Carlos Ruiz Hernandez. He's Panama's vice minister for foreign affairs.

Mr. Minister, welcome to the NewsHour.

Thank you, Anna, for having me.

Thank you so much for being here. I just want to ask you to respond to the report there from my colleague, William Brangham,

and specifically the conditions under

which some of those deported migrants say they were being held in Panama reportedly in hotel

rooms but they said they had their cell phones and passports taken away there were armed

guards at the doors explained to us why that was necessary I mean it's uh it's very

thank you so much I think it's a right question to ask, but I think

the mischaracterization of how this migrants are being treated is very unfortunate. The reporting

that these migrants are not being treated with the best conditions and with respect to your human

rights or due process, it's absolutely inaccurate

because they have access to absolutely everything they need.

IOM is there, UNHCR is there, we are there that being provided with absolutely food, water.

This is a four-star hotel in which they're being not detained.

They're being just protected in which we're processing, helping them going through this transition to head back home.

We are absolutely giving them everything that they need in terms of getting back home.

I hear you saying that they're free to leave, but they don't seem to be saying that at all.

We saw those images of people holding up signs in the windows saying, please help us.

They say they had their passports and cell phones taken away.

So where's the mischaracterization here?

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