Trump's deportation strategy: El Salvador as new landing ground
Donald Trump's campaign against illegal migrants continues. On Friday, the new president's administration announced that it is in discussions with El Salvador regarding the possibility of transporting illegal migrants from other countries, including dangerous criminals, to this nation.
The special envoy of the State Department for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, confirmed that Washington wishes for members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, arrested by U.S. authorities, to be transferred to prisons in El Salvador.
The Trump administration maintains good relations with the president of El Salvador. Nayib Bukele was among the few world leaders invited to Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony.
Bukele, who describes himself as the "coolest dictator in the world," is known for purchasing cryptocurrencies with public funds and for a severe crackdown on gangs in El Salvador.
In 2022, he implemented a state of emergency, suspending some civil liberties. Since then, 84,000 people have been detained, representing over 1% of the country's population. Most of them are held in prisons without a verdict.
Despite criticism from human rights defenders, these actions have contributed to a decline in crime in El Salvador.
Another move by Trump
The attempt to reach an agreement with El Salvador is another recent move by the new president's administration concerning illegal migrants.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump signed an order to build a facility for criminal migrants at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo. The facility is designed to accommodate 30,000 people.
