Trump official praises El Salvador's mega-jail amid deportation controversy

File Source: Anadolu

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has shared a social media video from inside El Salvador’s controversial mega-prison, thanking the country and its president for “bringing our terrorists here and incarcerating them.” The visit comes as the U.S. grapples with legal challenges over the deportation of Venezuelan migrants under President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

Standing before a cell packed with bare-chested, tattooed members of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs, Noem reaffirmed the administration’s hardline stance on illegal immigration. “One of the tools in our toolbox,” she said, referring to the facility. “If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face.”

The visit underscores Trump’s determination to push forward with his immigration agenda despite an appeals court upholding an injunction against the removal of Venezuelans under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. U.S. officials recently transferred 238 Venezuelans to the prison, officially known as the Terrorism Confinement Centre (Cecot), which was built under El Salvador’s own crackdown on gang crime.

Noem is also scheduled to meet with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, a staunch ally of Trump. Bukele’s policies have drawn both praise and criticism, with human rights groups raising concerns about mass detentions and harsh conditions in Cecot.

While the Biden administration previously sought to distance itself from Bukele’s methods, Trump’s endorsement of the facility signals a potential deepening of cooperation between the two governments on security and immigration enforcement.