The Associated Press’s Matthew Lee
The president of El Salvador agreed to accept deportees from the United States of any nationality, including violent American criminals already incarcerated in the United States, thus U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio left El Salvador on Tuesday (AP).
After spending many hours late Monday talking with President Nayib Bukele at his lakeside country home outside of San Salvador, Rubio declared that Bukele had agreed to the most unusual, extraordinary, and unprecedented migration pact anywhere in the world.
Regarding migrants of various nationalities held in the United States, Rubio stated, “We can send them, and he will put them in his jails.” Additionally, despite the fact that they are citizens or legal residents of the United States, he has pledged to do the same for dangerous offenders who are now in detention and serving their sentences in the country.
Rubio was in El Salvador to put pressure on a supportive administration to take further action in response to President Donald Trump’s calls for a significant immigration crackdown.
In a post on X, Bukele acknowledged the offer, stating that El Salvador had extended an offer to the United States of America to outsource a portion of its jail system. In order to make our entire jail system sustainable, he continued, his nation would only take in convicted criminals and collect a price that would be minimal for the United States but substantial for us.
On his X platform, Elon Musk, the billionaire who is collaborating with Trump to restructure the federal government, replied, “Excellent idea!
Following Rubio’s remarks, a U.S. official described Bukele’s offer as noteworthy but stated that Trump’s Republican administration currently has no intentions to attempt deporting Americans.
American citizens cannot be deported by the U.S. government, and doing so would be extremely difficult legally.
On Monday, February 3, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with President Nayib Bukele at his home in Lake Coatepeque, El Salvador. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo, Pool)AP
El Salvador’s overcrowded prisons are cruel and dangerous, according to the State Department. According to the current country information webpage, many facilities lack or have insufficient lighting, ventilation, temperature control, potable water, and sanitary services.
Since March 2022, when the nation’s most influential street gangs launched on a murderous spree, El Salvador has been under a state of emergency. In response, Bukele suspended basic rights such as the right to counsel, and more than 83,000 people were arrested without following the proper procedures.
Bukele boasted about only providing one meal a day when he inaugurated a huge new prison in 2023 that could house 40,000 gang members. There are no workshops or educational activities, no visits to inmates, and no programs to help them reintegrate into society following their sentences.
With a record-low 114 homicides last year, El Salvador—once among the most dangerous nations in the world—has gained security, which has contributed to Bukele’s rising popularity among its roughly 6 million citizens.
Shortly after witnessing a U.S.-sponsored deportation flight carrying forty-three migrants from Panama for Colombia, Rubio reached San Salvador. That occurred one day after Rubio warned Panama that the United States would take action to end China’s involvement at the Panama Canal unless the country took prompt action.