President Donald Trump is set to host El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele at the White House next week, a move that underscores the deepening partnership between the two nations in tackling transnational crime and illegal immigration. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announces the visit, emphasizing the collaboration that has seen the U.S. deport hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador’s notorious supermax prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). The announcement comes on the heels of a Supreme Court decision greenlighting Trump’s deportation strategy, a policy that has sparked both praise and controversy across the political spectrum. As the leaders prepare to meet, Trump publicly lauds El Salvador’s prison system, calling it a model for others, while human rights groups raise alarms over the conditions in CECOT and the broader implications of the deportation program.
The visit, scheduled for mid-April 2025, follows months of coordination between the Trump administration and Bukele’s government, which has positioned itself as a key ally in Trump’s immigration crackdown. Leavitt highlights that El Salvador’s cooperation “has become a model for others to work with the administration,” pointing to the transfer of over 250 alleged gang members, including members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the Salvadoran MS-13, to CECOT since March 2025. The supermax facility, designed to hold up to 40,000 inmates, is a cornerstone of Bukele’s aggressive anti-crime strategy, which has dramatically reduced El Salvador’s murder rate but drawn criticism for its suspension of due process and reported human rights abuses. Trump, in a recent statement, praises Bukele’s approach, saying, “He has been unbelievable… I want to thank the President of El Salvador because he’s done an amazing job.” The president’s remarks, shared widely on social media, reflect a growing admiration among U.S. conservatives for Bukele’s iron-fisted policies.
The partnership began to take shape in February 2025, when Bukele offered to house deportees from the U.S., regardless of nationality, in CECOT. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after meeting Bukele at his lakeside residence in El Salvador, describes the agreement as “the most unprecedented and extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world.” Under the deal, the U.S. pays El Salvador approximately $6 million to detain around 300 alleged gang members for a year, a fee Bukele says will help make his prison system self-sustainable. The arrangement also includes provisions for El Salvador to accept convicted U.S. citizens and legal residents, though Rubio clarifies that the Trump administration has no plans to deport American citizens, citing legal constraints. The first major deportation under this agreement occurs on March 16, 2025, when 261 individuals—238 alleged Tren de Aragua members, 21 MS-13 members, and two MS-13 leaders—are flown to El Salvador despite a federal judge’s order to halt the removals. Bukele posts a video on X, showing the shackled men being marched off planes and into CECOT, their heads shaved, with the caption, “Oopsie… Too late,” mocking the U.S. judicial system.
The legal battle over these deportations has been contentious. Trump invokes the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime law, to justify the rapid removal of alleged gang members without hearings, designating Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization. On March 15, 2025, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issues a temporary restraining order to block the deportations, arguing that the use of the 1798 law in peacetime is questionable. However, the planes are already in the air, and the White House, through Leavitt, asserts that federal courts “have no jurisdiction” over the president’s foreign affairs powers. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Democracy Forward challenge the deportations, with ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt calling the use of the Alien Enemies Act “illegal.” The case escalates to the Supreme Court, which, in a ruling on April 2, 2025, lifts the ban on deportations to El Salvador, affirming Trump’s authority under the 1798 law. This decision paves the way for further deportations, with 17 more alleged gang members sent to CECOT on April 2, despite ongoing legal challenges.
El Salvador’s CECOT has become a focal point of both admiration and criticism. Opened in January 2023, the mega-prison is a symbol of Bukele’s crackdown on gang violence, which began in 2022 after a bloody weekend that saw over 70 murders. Bukele declares a “state of exception,” suspending constitutional rights like due process, leading to the arrest of over 85,000 people—many without warrants. The country now has the world’s highest incarceration rate, with an estimated 120,000 people behind bars as of March 2025, up from 38,000 in 2019. CECOT, located in Tecoluca, 72 kilometers east of San Salvador, is designed to isolate inmates, blocking visitation, recreation, and education. Inmates are confined to windowless cells for 23.5 hours a day, with only 30 minutes for group exercise in a corridor. Videos released by Bukele’s government show prisoners in white uniforms, their heads shaved, sitting in crowded cells with bare metal bunks. Independent journalist Nick Shirley, who toured CECOT, describes the conditions as “chilling,” noting the lack of mattresses, open toilets, and extreme temperatures reaching 35°C.
Human rights organizations, including Cristosal, have documented severe abuses in CECOT and other Salvadoran prisons. Cristosal reports at least 367 deaths in custody during the state of exception, with many prisoners lacking gang ties and instead being “poor, surviving on the margins of the economy.” Testimonies reveal cases of torture, rape, and lack of medical care, with families often unaware if their loved ones are alive. Critics argue that Bukele’s policies, while popular domestically—he is Latin America’s most popular leader with approval ratings soaring after reducing the murder rate—undermine democracy. The U.S. Treasury has accused Bukele’s prison director, Osiris Luna, of corruption, including stealing COVID-19 relief goods using prison labor. Additionally, reports from El Faro reveal that Bukele’s government secretly negotiated with MS-13 in 2019, offering concessions like financial incentives in exchange for reduced violence, a deal that allegedly collapsed in 2022, leading to the current crackdown.
The deportations have also raised concerns about the targeting of Venezuelans. The Trump administration claims the 238 deported on March 16 are Tren de Aragua members, but neither the U.S. nor El Salvador provides evidence of their criminality. Families of the deportees contest the allegations, noting they were denied a chance to defend themselves in court. Amnesty International USA condemns the deportations as “racist targeting” of Venezuelans, while Venezuela’s government calls Trump’s actions “illegal” and evocative of “the darkest episodes in human history.” The arrangement has also drawn scrutiny for its neocolonial undertones, with critics arguing that Bukele is prioritizing U.S. interests over his own citizens’ well-being, potentially at the cost of El Salvador’s sovereignty.
Breaking news updates indicate that Trump’s praise for Bukele continues to resonate with his base. On March 31, 2025, Trump gives a “massive shoutout” to Bukele for allowing more criminals into CECOT, with posts on X reflecting strong support from MAGA supporters. One user writes, “I VOTED FOR THIS,” while another calls El Salvador “America’s best ally.” The White House invitation, announced on April 2, 2025, is seen as a victory for Bukele, who has been recognized by Trump allies like Elon Musk, who calls the deportation deal a “great idea.” However, the partnership is not without domestic pushback in the U.S. Latino advocacy group LULAC denounces the treatment of non-criminal migrants as “cattle,” and legal challenges to the deportations persist, with the ACLU vowing to continue its fight.
Historically, the U.S. and El Salvador have a complex relationship, marked by U.S. intervention during El Salvador’s civil war in the 1980s and the subsequent rise of MS-13, which originated in Los Angeles among Salvadoran immigrants before spreading back to Central America through deportations. Bukele’s rise to power in 2019, at age 37, and his re-election in 2024, have made him a polarizing figure—celebrated for his security gains but criticized for authoritarian tendencies, including his 2021 decision to make Bitcoin legal tender, which has largely failed to deliver economic benefits. Trump’s deportation strategy, meanwhile, builds on his first-term policies, such as the 2019 “safe third country” agreements, and reflects his broader goal of curbing illegal immigration, a key promise of his 2024 campaign.
As Trump and Bukele prepare to meet, the spotlight remains on CECOT and the human cost of their collaboration. While the leaders tout their success in removing “monsters” from U.S. soil, the lack of transparency, due process, and the harsh conditions in El Salvador’s prisons continue to fuel debate. The White House visit is poised to solidify this controversial partnership, but it also raises questions about the long-term implications for both nations—and the migrants caught in the crossfire.
Sources:
- Video: Trump To Host El Salvador President
- Video: Trump Praises El Salvador’s Prison System In Advance Of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s Visit
- Video: Inside El Salvador’s mega prison: Youtuber reveals what he saw
- Video: SCOTUS GREENLIGHTS Trump Deportations To El Salvador Prison
- Web sources: foreignpolicy.com, foxnews.com, npr.org, bbc.com, slate.com, pbs.org, reuters.com, politico.com, nytimes.com, france24.com, cnn.com, theguardian.com, aljazeera.com, dropsitenews.com, cbsnews.com, bloomberg.com, dw.com, abcnews.com
- Posts on X reflecting user sentiment and breaking updates
