U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio viewed a deportation flight carrying 43 migrants before it took off from Panama on Monday as President Donald Trump’s administration prioritizes stopping people from making the journey to the United States.

On his second and final day in Panama City on a five-nation trip to Central America, Rubio turned his focus from the Panama Canal and Chinese influence to the issue the Republican president has championed most: immigration.

Rubio was on the tarmac for the departure of the flight, which was carrying 32 men and 11 women back to Colombia after they had crossed the Darien Gap and were stopped in Panama. It’s unusual for a secretary of state to personally witness such a law enforcement operation, especially in front of cameras.

The State Department said such deportations send a strong message of deterrence and that the U.S. has provided Panama with financial assistance to the tune of almost $2.7 million in flights and tickets.