The President of El Salvador released video footage showing migrants arriving at a facility (Twitter/@nayibbukele). The relatively obscure law in question was previously invoked in the United States to justify the internment of Japanese, German, and Italian citizens during World War II. Former President Trump has expressed intentions to repeal this law to facilitate the mass deportation of non-U.S. citizens accused of gang affiliations or criminal activities, often without any judicial proceedings.
An executive order, signed by the President shortly after assuming office, declared that the U.S. is experiencing an ‘invasion’ of immigrants associated with organized crime. The Trump administration has denied any misconduct related to this initiative (El Salvador Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images).
It seems that the group of migrants transported to the high-security Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) was processed under this law, following an agreement reached between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. Bukele, who is committed to combating gang violence in his country, shared images and videos of the apprehended individuals being escorted from the aircraft to the prison.
On Twitter, he asserted that many of the arrivals were part of the Venezuelan criminal group, Tren de Aragua. The U.S. President referred to them as ‘monsters’ (El Salvador Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images).
He noted, “The United States will incur a minimal cost for their transfer, while we will bear a significant expense.” He added that over time, these measures, along with the productivity of more than 40,000 inmates involved in various workshops and labor under the Zero Idleness program, will contribute to making the prison system self-sustaining, which currently costs $200 million annually. Bukele also mentioned that the U.S. had sent back 23 members of MS-13, including two leaders, bringing the total to over 250 individuals.
One individual is part of the upper echelon of the criminal organization, he noted. “This will enable us to complete our intelligence operations and target the remaining elements of MS-13, including both former and current members, as well as their finances, weapons, drugs, hideouts, accomplices, and sponsors.”
The president concluded by stating that the nation, in partnership with the United States, will persist in its efforts against organized crime while striving to make its prison system self-sufficient. “May God bless El Salvador, and may God bless the United States,” he remarked.
Trump also praised this action, using Truth Social to label the deportees as ‘monsters’ who had been allowed entry into the United States under the administration of Joe Biden and the Democrats. “These are monsters sent into our Country by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats,” he expressed. “How dare they!”
“Thank you to El Salvador, and especially to President Bukele, for your recognition of this dire situation, which arose due to Democratic leadership in the United States. We will not forget,” Trump added.
A federal judge attempted to halt the deportation order by ruling against it while the flight was already in the air, as reported by VT.
The Trump administration asserted that its actions were lawful.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “A single judge in a single city cannot dictate the movements of an aircraft carrier filled with foreign terrorists who have been physically removed from US territory,” according to Sky News.
