El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has confirmed the deportation of 17 dangerous criminals, including high-profile members of the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs, following a joint military operation with the United States.
In a social media post, Bukele shared a video showing the men being escorted off a US Air Force plane and into maximum-security prison cells in El Salvador. He noted that all of the deportees were confirmed murderers, with six identified as child rapists, framing the operation as a significant step in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.
The group of deportees, which included both Salvadoran and Venezuelan nationals, were flown to El Salvador as part of a broader US effort to combat gang violence linked to these notorious organisations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the operation as a “successful counter-terrorism” measure, emphasising that the deportees were “murderers and rapists.” However, the operation has sparked controversy, especially as it continues despite legal challenges.
A federal judge in Washington, DC, James Boasberg, recently ruled to temporarily halt deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law historically used in wartime. The judge’s decision was prompted by concerns that deportees were being denied their right to contest their deportations in court.
While the US Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration have argued that the deportations are justified to protect public safety, the legal dispute remains unresolved. This has led to a tense standoff between the US government’s law enforcement objectives and the rights of the individuals being deported.
Despite the court order, the deportation of the 17 gang members proceeded. White House officials have argued that these individuals had final orders of removal, and their deportations were carried out in line with established immigration laws. The deportees, many of whom had been held at Guantanamo Bay, were allegedly part of violent gangs involved in widespread criminal activities, including homicide and sexual assault.
President Donald Trump has also weighed in, expressing gratitude toward Bukele for his cooperation in accepting deportees, many of whom had entered the US illegally under the previous administration. Trump praised the operation in a statement, thanking the Salvadoran government for “giving these criminals such a wonderful place to live.”
This comment drew a sharp contrast with the criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, with Trump framing the deportations as part of a broader effort to safeguard American communities from transnational criminal organisations.
Salvadoran officials confirmed that their country had agreed to accept the deportees in exchange for $6 million in financial assistance, raising questions about the broader implications of such deportation agreements. While some family members of the deported individuals have denied that their relatives have gang ties, the US and El Salvador governments maintain that these criminals are dangerous offenders who pose a threat to both nations’ safety.
The situation also highlights ongoing tensions within US immigration policy. Recently, the Department of Defense sought intervention from the US Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that temporarily blocked the deportation of Venezuelan nationals under the same law. The legal wrangling has sparked debate over the balance between national security interests and the rights of migrants. With the next hearing on the case scheduled for later this week, the outcome remains uncertain, but it is clear that the deportation of gang members remains a deeply contentious issue.
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