During a recent conversation aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump reportedly expressed support for a controversial proposal to deport American inmates to El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
This mega-prison is known for housing a vast number of inmates under extreme conditions.
Trump was responding to a question regarding a deal between his administration and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, which involved sending suspected Venezuelan gang members to the facility.
When asked about a suggestion from Bukele to accept American citizens from U.S. prisons, Trump enthusiastically responded, stating, “I love that.”
He cited the potential benefits of sending repeat offenders—those he described as engaging in violent crimes, such as attacking individuals and reckless driving—if it could alleviate the burden on the U.S. prison system.
Trump indicated that he had already proposed this idea to Bukele, questioning why the deportation policy should only apply to illegal immigrants.
Trump emphasized the need for a legal framework to support such deportations, stating, “If they can house these horrible criminals for a lot less money than it costs us, I’m all for it.”
His comments were made amid legal challenges to his administration’s broader deportation strategies concerning individuals sent to El Salvador’s CECOT.
Previously, a federal judge had prohibited further deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act after the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man deported to CECOT.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the deportation by labeling Garcia as a member of the MS-13 gang, further intensifying the ongoing debate about the treatment of prisoners and the human rights implications surrounding CECOT.
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