US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed great admiration for the recent agreement reached with the president of El Salvador earlier this week. The top diplomat under the Trump administration was pleasantly surprised by the unprecedented migratory deal made with President Nayib Bukele. Bukele had offered to accept individuals deported from the US, regardless of their nationality, and house them in El Salvador’s massive prison facility. This proposal was seen as a victory for President Trump’s efforts to expedite the removal of undocumented migrants from the US. However, the real shock came when Rubio disclosed that El Salvador had agreed to also accommodate dangerous criminals currently incarcerated in the US, even if they were American citizens or legal residents. Bukele had proposed to the US the outsourcing of a portion of its prison system, emphasizing that El Salvador would only accept convicted criminals in exchange for compensation.
Bukele detailed the plan to house deported individuals in El Salvador’s mega-prison, known as Cecot (Terrorism Confinement Centre), which symbolizes his tough stance on crime. This maximum-security facility, one of the largest in Latin America, can hold up to 40,000 inmates and is known for its strict conditions such as windowless cells, metal bunks, and constant surveillance by armed guards. Journalist Leire Ventas, granted a rare tour of the prison, described the extreme temperatures reaching 35C in the cells.
Due to restricted access, the exact number of inmates per cell is unclear, with estimates ranging from 80 to over 150. The prison director cryptically stated that one could double the capacity in each cell. Inmates spend most of their time locked in their cells, with minimal group exercise allowed in a windowless corridor. The construction of the mega-jail followed a violent weekend in 2022, prompting Bukele to take a harsh stance against criminal gangs, resulting in the prison’s establishment.
Criticism from human rights organizations concerning the facility’s conditions and treatment of inmates has been substantial. Miguel Sarre, a former UN Subcommittee member, likened it to a “concrete and steel pit.” As for the possibility of US citizens being sent to the prison, Trump expressed openness to the idea but raised concerns about its legality.
Overall, the agreement between the US and El Salvador regarding the placement of convicts in the Salvadoran prison has sparked intrigue and debate.
“I would do it in a heartbeat if I had the legal right to do so,” he remarked while signing an executive order in the Oval Office. “I’m unsure of our current standing on this matter. We are currently exploring options where we could negotiate deals to remove these animals from our country.” However, any attempt to relocate US citizens or lawful residents to a foreign prison would undoubtedly face legal opposition. Individuals born in the United States are shielded by law from deportation. In certain instances, naturalized citizens, who gained citizenship through legal means after birth, may have their citizenship revoked. This typically occurs when fraud was employed to obtain citizenship initially. Alex Cuic, an immigration lawyer and professor at Case Western Reserve University, mentioned that naturalized citizens suspected of ties to criminal groups or terrorist organizations could potentially lose their citizenship. “If it is discovered that you were part of a group that persecuted or threatened to persecute others, they may seek to denaturalize you,” he explained. “For instance, if you had affiliations with a gang and did not disclose them, this could be used as a basis for denaturalization.” Once denaturalized, individuals are at risk of deportation following a formal court process. While citizenship for naturalized citizens is not absolute, instances of natural-born citizens being sent abroad for criminal activities prosecuted in the US are unheard of. The status of lawful permanent residents in the US is more tenuous than that of citizens. They may face deportation for violating certain provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, including drug offenses, violent crimes, and theft. Similar to naturalized citizens, they could lose their status if obtained through fraudulent means or if they engage in activities detrimental to US national security. The recent executive order by President Trump designating drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations” is significant, especially in relation to criminal groups like Tren de Aragua and MS-13. These organizations were highlighted by Trump’s special envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, during a briefing on Marco Rubio’s visit to El Salvador. Claver-Carone commended Bukele’s efforts in handling MS-13 and suggested that Bukele might have insights on addressing the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
In the ongoing debate over immigration and gang violence, Claver-Carone and Rubio have made bold statements regarding the fate of Venezuelan gang members in the United States. Claver-Carone suggested that the threat of being sent to a Salvadoran prison could be enough to convince these individuals to return to their homeland, rather than face the harsh realities of the Mara prisons in El Salvador. Rubio echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the Trump administration’s interest in directing members of notorious gangs such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua to El Salvador for incarceration.
The proposal raises questions about the practicality and feasibility of such transfers, as well as the potential impact on U.S.-El Salvador relations. Despite uncertainties surrounding the implementation of this plan, one thing is clear: Salvadoran President Bukele’s “unprecedented offer of friendship” has not gone unnoticed by the Trump administration. At a time of strained relations between the U.S. and its neighbors, Bukele’s overtures have positioned him favorably in the eyes of the U.S. president, who has previously threatened tariffs on goods from the region.
The intricacies of this evolving situation are being closely monitored by journalists, including the BBC’s Bernd Debusmann Jr in Washington, DC. As the dynamics of Trump’s second presidential term continue to unfold, readers can stay informed through North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher’s weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Sign up for exclusive insights and analysis on the latest developments in U.S. politics, whether you’re in the UK or beyond.
In a landscape marked by shifting alliances and political maneuvering, the fate of Venezuelan gang members in the U.S. remains uncertain. The push to potentially relocate them to El Salvador’s prisons underscores the complexities of addressing transnational crime and immigration. The implications of such a move on both countries’ legal systems and diplomatic ties are yet to be fully understood.
As the story unfolds, developments will be closely watched by experts and stakeholders alike. The evolving relationship between the U.S. and its neighboring countries in the wake of Bukele’s overtures to Trump adds another layer of intrigue to an already tumultuous political landscape. Stay informed with the latest updates and analysis from trusted sources, and navigate the twists and turns of this unfolding saga with clarity and insight.
