El Salvador’s Mega-Prison Becomes a Hub for Deported Migrants Under Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

 

US deports hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador

El Salvador’s Mega-Prison Becomes a Hub for Deported Migrants Under Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

A cornerstone of El Salvador’s stringent anti-crime initiatives—a massive penitentiary where inmates are denied visitation, recreational activities, and educational opportunities—has now become an integral part of U.S. President Donald Trump's intensified immigration enforcement. On Sunday, hundreds of migrants facing deportation were relocated to this facility.

According to U.S. authorities, these deported individuals are allegedly linked to the Venezuelan criminal organization known as Tren de Aragua. Their transfer was carried out under an agreement in which the Trump administration will compensate President Nayib Bukele’s government with $6 million for a year-long detention arrangement.

The Role of CECOT in Bukele’s Anti-Crime Strategy

Renowned for his uncompromising stance on crime, Bukele has made El Salvador’s high-security prisons emblematic of his governance. In 2023, he inaugurated the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), the same facility that received the newly arrived deportees. Their transfer occurred despite a temporary judicial order halting deportations under an 18th-century wartime provision specifically targeting Venezuelan criminal groups.

Inside CECOT: El Salvador’s Largest Prison

CECOT was commissioned by Bukele in March 2022 as part of his nationwide crackdown on gangs. The facility, which officially opened a year later in Tecoluca—approximately 72 kilometers (45 miles) from the capital—was designed to hold an extensive inmate population.

The prison features eight vast pavilions and has a maximum capacity of 40,000 detainees. Each cell accommodates between 65 and 70 inmates.

Those incarcerated at CECOT are completely isolated from the outside world. Family visits are prohibited, and there are no educational or rehabilitative programs to facilitate reintegration into society.

On rare occasions, prisoners deemed trustworthy by officials are permitted to deliver motivational speeches. These sessions take place in corridors outside the cells, where inmates sit in formation or participate in regimented exercises overseen by guards.

Bukele’s justice minister has explicitly stated that prisoners held within CECOT will never be reintegrated into their communities.

Unlike typical correctional facilities, CECOT’s dining areas, leisure rooms, gym facilities, and recreational spaces—including board games—are designated exclusively for prison staff.

El Salvador’s Expanding Inmate Population

While the Salvadoran government does not regularly release official incarceration statistics, the human rights group Cristosal reported that as of March 2024, the country’s prison population had surged to 110,000. This figure includes both convicted individuals and pretrial detainees, more than tripling from the 36,000 prisoners recorded in April 2021—prior to Bukele’s intensified anti-crime measures.

Human rights organizations, including Cristosal, have condemned various reported violations within the prison system.

In 2023, Cristosal documented at least 261 inmate deaths occurring amid the government’s crackdown on gang-related crime. Allegations of torture, inadequate medical care, and other abuses have been widely reported.

Government-released footage showcases CECOT detainees clad in boxer shorts, marching in tight formations and forced into overcrowded communal spaces. Many cells lack sufficient bedding, compelling inmates to sleep on the floor.

Why Were Migrants Transferred to CECOT?

The deportation of these migrants follows Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely used law that has only been applied three times in U.S. history.

This legislation grants the president extraordinary powers during wartime, allowing for the detention or expulsion of foreign nationals who would otherwise be protected under immigration or criminal statutes. Justifying its use, Trump asserted that members of the Tren de Aragua gang were infiltrating the U.S.

Tren de Aragua originated within a notorious Venezuelan prison and expanded its influence as millions of Venezuelans fled their homeland due to economic collapse. However, the Trump administration has yet to publicly identify the deported individuals or provide conclusive evidence of their gang affiliations or criminal activities in the U.S.

The Arrival of Deportees in El Salvador

On Sunday, El Salvador’s government released video footage depicting the deportees’ arrival. The footage shows men being escorted off aircraft onto a tarmac lined with heavily armed riot police. Shackled at the wrists and ankles, the detainees struggled to move as officers forcibly pushed their heads downward, compelling them to walk in a hunched posture.

Additional video segments display the men being transported to CECOT in an extensive convoy of buses, escorted by police, military vehicles, and a helicopter. Upon arrival, they were made to kneel on the ground while their heads were shaved. Following this, they were issued the prison’s standard all-white attire—knee-length shorts, a T-shirt, socks, and rubber clogs—before being confined to their designated cells.

With CECOT now housing deported migrants under a high-profile U.S.-El Salvador agreement, international scrutiny over prison conditions and human rights practices continues to grow.