San Salvador, El Salvador – El Salvador has struck an unprecedented deal with the Trump administration to house violent US criminals and accept deportees of any nationality, raising concerns among critics and rights groups. The agreement was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after his meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Under the deal, El Salvador will continue accepting Salvadoran deportees who illegally entered the US and will also receive deportees who are criminals from any nationality, including members of notorious gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. Additionally, President Bukele has offered to house dangerous American criminals in El Salvador’s jails, including US citizens and legal residents.
The agreement has sparked condemnation from rights groups and critics, who fear that such a plan could undermine democratic principles. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) expressed their opposition, stating that deported non-criminal migrants should not be treated as commodities to be shuttled between countries without regard for their well-being.
Experts have also weighed in on the deal, with concerns raised about sending individuals to a country that may not be their country of origin. The proposal, which involves two authoritarian, populist leaders forging a transactional relationship, raises questions about its legality and compliance with international laws on migrant rights.
One notable aspect of the deal is El Salvador’s law that does not differentiate between alleged gang members and those found guilty of a crime. Under the state of emergency in place since 2022, authorities can detain individuals based solely on suspicion of gang affiliation. President Bukele has touted the high incarceration rate in El Salvador as a means of enhancing security, despite concerns from human rights organizations about the potential wrongful detention of thousands of individuals.
CNN has reached out to Salvadoran officials for further details on the agreement. As the situation continues to develop, it remains a subject of scrutiny and debate among advocates, experts, and the public.
