El Salvador has struck a controversial deal with the U.S. to take violent criminals and deportees from any country.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has come up with a bold new idea—offering to house U.S. criminals in his country’s mega-prison for a fee. The proposal suggests that instead of keeping certain U.S. inmates in American prisons, they could be sent to El Salvador’s massive incarceration facility, which is already known for holding thousands of gang members under Bukele’s tough-on-crime policies.
The agreement, which raises legal and human rights concerns, has sparked backlash from critics and advocacy groups.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has offered to imprison convicted Americans in the country’s massive high-security facility—for a price.
“We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system,” Bukele wrote on X. “The fee would be relatively low for the US but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.”
The prison, which opened a year ago and is the largest in Latin America, has been a key part of Bukele’s crackdown on crime. The proposal has sparked debate, with supporters praising its potential economic benefits and critics raising human rights concerns.
The U.S. describes El Salvador’s prison as dangerous
With federal authorities vigorously detaining and arresting undocumented immigrants and removing protections for those who are already in the country, the United States is intensifying its immigration enforcement at the time of this agreement.
Rubio and Bukele explained the deal, which is referred to as a “safe third country” pact, which would let the United States send asylum seekers to El Salvador regardless of their nationality.
Trump has been putting pressure on nations to accept deportation planes in the meantime, even threatening to take action against those that refuse. Before taking a momentary backseat, his tough approach almost resulted in a trade war with Colombia over repatriations.
Despite Bukele’s offer, concerns remain about the conditions in El Salvador’s prison system. The U.S. State Department itself has described the country’s overcrowded prisons as “harsh and dangerous.”
Its website further details the poor conditions, stating that “in many facilities, provisions for sanitation, potable water, ventilation, temperature control, and lighting are inadequate or nonexistent.”
These warnings raise serious questions about the safety and treatment of inmates if the U.S. moves forward with the deal.
Supporters of the Trump administration have been quick to celebrate the deal, with the president’s allies backing the move. Elon Musk even called it a “great idea” in a post on X.
However, rights groups have strongly condemned the agreement, and critics warn that it could signal a step toward democratic backsliding. Concerns are growing over the potential human rights implications of outsourcing the U.S. prison system to El Salvador.
El Salvador : Mega-Prison
The largest megaprison in Latin America, El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), is a crucial component of President Nayib Bukele’s war against gangs. Built to house 40,000 prisoners, mostly gang members apprehended during the government’s huge anti-crime drive, it opened in 2023.
With 19 watchtowers, round-the-clock surveillance, and heavily armed guards, the prison is extremely secure. Inmates are housed in cramped, mattressless cells with limited mobility and little access to the outside world. The facility just offers punishment; it has no rehabilitative services.
Although Bukele has marketed it as a representation of El Salvador’s war on crime, human rights organizations have denounced it, pointing to issues with overcrowding, cruel treatment, and detainees’ lack of due process.
The prison is a symbol of Bukele’s strict security measures, which have drawn criticism for possible violations of human rights as well as acclaim for lowering violence.
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