Trump plans deportations: US citizens are also supposed to go to El Salvador!

Trump plans deportations: US citizens are also supposed to go to El Salvador!

Vienna, Österreich - President Donald Trump announces that violent criminals that are US citizens should also be deported in El Salvador. As part of a new strategy, this is done to refer violent criminals from the United States. Trump emphasizes the need to adhere to existing laws, but wants to accommodate criminal elements outside the United States. These measures follow a recent visit by Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele in Washington, where the two spoke about the increase in crime and the treatment of criminals.

The Trump government has already brought hundreds of migrants classified as criminal, primarily from Venezuela, to El Salvador. The plan also provides that the United States pays about six million dollars (5.29 million euros) to the government of El Salvador to accommodate these migrants in a new mega prison, the Cecot. Trump uses the "Alien Enemies Act" from 1798 as a legal basis for these deportations. The law allows the President to avoid immigration procedures in order to deport foreigners from foreign nations.

concern for civil rights activists

Trump's project to deport citizens to El Salvador has triggered concern among civil rights activists and legal experts. Critics point out that the "Alien Enemies Act" should only be used in war times or in the event of impending invasions. Two human rights organizations already called for an immediate stop of the deportations because this law was not intended for peace. Despite an interim decision by the judge James Boasberg, who ordered a 14-day stop of the deportations, planes have already sent the USA into El Salvador.

The focus of the accidentally deported asyluming Kilmar Abrego Garcia is also at the center of the debate. Trump and Bukele said they were not planning to bring him back to the United States. Ambivalent legal and ethical questions are in the room, especially because Abrego Garcia had entered the USA in 2012 and, despite a rejected asylum application, had no legal status. He was arrested in Maryland on March 12, 2025 and was soon deported to El Salvador. The US government admitted an "administrative mistake", but adheres to the accusation that Garcia is a member of the violent gang MS-13, which he vehemently contested.

The role of El Salvador in the deportation

The refugees and criminals that land in El Salvador also come from various problematic groups. In addition to the over 200 alleged members of the Venezuelan drug gang "Tren de Aragua", which were deported to El Salvador by the USA, two leaders of the Salvadorian gang MS-13. Nayib Bukele had previously made an agreement with the United States, which provides that prisoners are transferred to his country for payment. This has led to increased criticism of the Salvadorian government and the conditions there in the prisons.

Although Trump emphasizes that these measures contribute to the security of the United States, it remains unclear what effects they will have on relationships between the USA and Latin America. The actions also seem to be strategically linked to the sudden developments in the Venezuelan political landscape, since the Trump administration describes the activities of the "Tren de Aragua" as "irregular war" against the USA.

Overall, the planned deportations according to El Salvador are in the context of an intensive political struggle for immigration issues in the United States, which will cause both local and international reactions. While the discussion continues to how the country should deal with immigration and the crime, the question of how this policy will ultimately affect the people and countries affected.