In a recent development, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has proposed a novel approach to managing the U.S. prison system and addressing illegal immigration. Following a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Bukele offered to accommodate convicted criminals, including U.S. citizens, in El Salvador's mega-prison (CECOT) for a fee. This arrangement, Bukele suggests, would provide El Salvador with substantial financial support for its prison system while offering the U.S. a cost-effective solution for housing convicted individuals.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with President Bukele at his lakeside residence outside San Salvador. Rubio described the agreement as "unprecedented" and "extraordinary," highlighting the potential to transfer convicted illegal immigrants from U.S. prisons to El Salvador's facilities. He also mentioned Bukele's offer to house dangerous criminals currently serving sentences in the U.S., even if they are U.S. citizens or legal residents. However, deporting U.S. citizens is legally problematic, and a U.S. official confirmed there are no plans to do so, while acknowledging the significance of Bukele's offer.
This "safe third country" agreement could be a solution for convicted Venezuelan gang members in the U.S. if Venezuela refuses to repatriate them. Bukele has also expressed willingness to accept detainees of any nationality, including all Salvadoran MS-13 gang members illegally present in the U.S., and criminal illegal aliens, particularly those associated with Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang. This broad offer has sparked criticism, with Manuel Flores, secretary general of the leftist opposition party Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, suggesting the plan reduces the region to a dumping ground for the U.S.
Rubio's visit to El Salvador was part of a broader effort to garner support for President Trump's mass deportation plan. He witnessed a U.S.-funded deportation flight from Panama to Colombia, carrying 43 individuals detained for illegally crossing the Darien Gap. This action, according to the State Department, aims to deter illegal immigration. Rubio emphasized the tragic nature of mass migration, acknowledging the vulnerability of migrants while stressing its negative global impact.
Rubio's Central American tour, which includes stops in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, coincides with a freeze on U.S. foreign assistance for programs addressing illegal immigration and crime in Central America. However, the State Department has granted waivers for certain essential programs in the countries Rubio is visiting. The secretary's mission is to encourage greater cooperation from regional leaders in combating illegal immigration.
