The harsh measures taken by the Trump administration to deter illegal immigration have transformed the perilous Darien Gap migrant route to the United States into an abandoned area, as demonstrated by comparison photos.

Recent pictures portray Lajas Blancas, a small riverside town in Panama that was previously teeming with migrants, now devoid of its former inhabitants.

Large tents that previously sheltered numerous families seeking asylum now sit empty, while the once busy river where over a thousand migrants attempted to cross daily is now deserted, as depicted in the images.

The desertion comes after crossings through the 70-mile stretch of jungle — the only land bridge between South and Central America — surged to record highs in 2023 when more than 500,000 people attempted the grueling trek.

The number of migrants traversing the treacherous route plummeted by 40% last year as Panama’s right-wing President José Raúl Mulino vowed to crack down.

Now, in the few months since Trump took office, the route has essentially been eradicated.

“Effectively, the border with Darien is closed. The problem we had in Lajas Blancas eliminated,” Mulino declared last month.