Trump wants to deport American criminals to El Salvador

“I call them homegrown criminals. We are looking into it and we want to do it. I would love to do that,” Trump reiterated Monday, referencing comments he made during a meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House.

Trump also praised Bukele for turning El Salvador into a very safe place. He went on to mention the country’s notorious terrorist detention center, which Bukele has offered for US use to incarcerate deported individuals for a fee.

In February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that El Salvador had offered to accept criminals deported from the US, regardless of their country of origin - including American citizens.

Soon after, reports emerged that President Trump was reviewing El Salvador’s proposal to take in and imprison US criminals convicted of serious offenses. According to the Associated Press, the decision is legally complex and entails several legal and procedural challenges.