Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has offered to accept deportees from the U.S., regardless of nationality, as well as violent American criminals currently incarcerated in the United States.
“President Bukele has agreed to the most unprecedented, extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world,” Rubio stated. “He’s also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentence in the United States, even though they’re U.S. citizens or legal residents.”
This controversial proposal has raised serious human rights concerns, as it suggests the potential deportation of individuals who have already served their time or who may be American citizens by birth. Legal experts warn that forcibly relocating convicted criminals who are U.S. citizens to a foreign nation could violate both U.S. and international law.
Critics argue that such a move could set a dangerous precedent for handling incarcerated individuals, potentially undermining constitutional protections and due process rights. Others see it as an attempt to offload prison populations onto a foreign government, raising questions about accountability and rehabilitation.
Bukele’s administration has yet to issue an official response detailing the logistics or legal framework of such an agreement. Meanwhile, human rights organizations are closely monitoring the situation, warning that this deal could lead to abuses and displacement without legal justification.
