We’ve seen it repeatedly—left-wing policymakers pushing forward with reckless decisions, seemingly without any consideration for their long-term consequences. It’s as if they can’t see beyond next week. We were assured that the crisis at the southern border was simply about people seeking a better life. In reality, it also involved a significant number of criminals exploiting the situation to target American communities. The same voices that constantly lecture the public about environmental responsibility are now silent as another consequence of illegal immigration comes into focus—one with serious environmental implications they appear unwilling to confront.
The vast jungle region between Colombia and Panama, known as the Darien Gap, was a major route for illegal immigrants coming from South America to get to the U.S. But as you might expect, anywhere there are a lot of human beings, they leave behind remnants. In the case of the Darien Gap, illegal immigrants left behind loads of garbage, gasoline, and human waste. South American officials say the result is a substantial environmental crisis.
The Darien Gap once traversed by thousands of illegal immigrants daily, is now largely deserted—but officials in Panama face a $12 million cleanup of the human waste, trash, and pollution they left behind. https://t.co/8q6Gmnn8ul
— yourNEWS.com (@yourNEWS_com) May 6, 2025
The numbers speak for themselves. Nearly 3,000 illegal immigrants passing through the region each day leave behind an estimated 2,500 pounds of trash. The cost to clean up that waste has reached approximately $12 million. As Panama’s Environmental Minister Juan Carlos Navarro aptly put it: “[The United States is] not cleaning up their mess. If the United States is responsible because it opened its borders, then the United States should pay for it.”
Well, no. After all, his government did little to nothing to enforce its own borders and keep the tsunami of people from crossing into Panama and using the gap as a transit. At what point do other governments have to take responsibility for their border security failures?
Meanwhile, since President Donald Trump returned to office, illegal immigration through the Darién Gap has dropped dramatically, reaching its lowest levels since February 2021. In March 2025, only 194 migrants passed through the region, a stark contrast to the 36,841 recorded in March 2024. In April, RedState reported on the economic impact this decline has had on local residents. Many had relied on the influx of migrants for income, with boat owners charging up to $40 per person—fitting as many as 20 passengers at a time—to ferry people across waterways in the Gap. That revenue stream has now vanished. However, even more concerning are the ongoing health consequences for those living in the area.
In small towns surrounding the Darien Gap, such as Villa Caleta, residents are afraid to bathe in the Turquesa River due to the significant amount of trash present. Many communities rely on fish as a main food source, but these fish are often contaminated by gasoline from boats. Additionally, there are occasional sightings of decomposing bodies floating in the river.
One community leader, Cholino de Gracia, grimly stated, “We can’t fish anymore because you’d practically be eating a fish full of gasoline.” Even more dangerous than visible hazards are those that are hidden. Testing of the river water reveals dangerously high levels of contamination, specifically from excessive fecal coliform bacteria typically associated with human waste. You’d think that American environmentalists would be outraged and demanding action, but of course, they’re silent because they’re all left-wing activists first and foremost, and the left loves illegal immigration.