Homeland Security Secretary Noem visits prison in El Salvador with deported Venezuelans
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visits CECOT prison (Photo: Getty Images)
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem toured a notorious high-security prison in El Salvador where deported Venezuelans are being held, as the Trump administration defends its controversial immigration crackdown, reports NBC News.
Noem defends deportations to El Salvador's harshest prison
On March 26, Kristi Noem visited the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca, El Salvador - a facility known for its extreme conditions and mass incarceration of alleged gang members.
During her tour, Noem observed two overcrowded cell blocks, an isolation unit, and a heavily monitored armory. Her visit comes as part of the Trump administration's effort to showcase its hardline stance on immigration, particularly its recent use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans accused of gang ties.
"These are the consequences if you come to our country illegally and commit crimes," Noem said in a video message recorded during the visit. "You will be removed, you will be prosecuted, and this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit."
When pressed by reporters about whether the Venezuelans would remain imprisoned indefinitely, she deflected: "We’re going to let the courts play out."
Legal questions mount as human rights concerns grow
The administration claims the deportees are part of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, but has offered little public evidence.
Lawyers representing over 30 Venezuelans held in CECOT say their clients have no criminal records or gang affiliations. "They are not gang members," one attorney said, emphasizing that many of the deportees were swept up without due process. Some Venezuelan migrants were reportedly targeted due to tattoos that had no connection to criminal activity
The deportations occurred even after a federal judge verbally ordered the planes to return - an order the administration argues did not legally apply because it wasn’t written.
Moreover, despite court orders, the Trump administration refuses to disclose details of the deportations, citing national security concerns.
El Salvador's government, led by President Nayib Bukele, has embraced the partnership. Bukele opened CECOT in 2023 as part of a sweeping anti-gang crackdown that has led to over 84,000 arrests under a state of emergency.
During Noem’s tour, Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro said of the prisoners, "No one expects that these people can go back to society and behave."
