- The U.S. is looking to outsource parts of its prison system and has tapped El Salvador as a possible solution. Leaders in both countries are receptive to the idea.
- El Salvador’s president said he would house convicted criminals in a “mega-prison” for a fee.
- President Trump suggested he would be open to sending prisoners there but that he was not sure about the legality.
Leaders in both the United States and El Salvador are receptive to a plan allowing the U.S. to outsource parts of its prison system. After a visit to El Salvador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Salvadoran government committed to accepting and holding prisoners convicted in the U.S. criminal justice system, including U.S. citizens.
Rubio emphasized the U.S. would potentially use the prisons for members of Latin American gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. However, the program could open the door for other criminals to be sent there in the future.
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El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said his country would house convicted criminals described as its “mega-prison” for a fee.
El Salvador’s prison, known as CECOT, has been a central spot for Bukele in his crackdown on gang violence. While crime has fallen in the country, previously one of the most dangerous in the world, its prison population has skyrocketed.
Prisoners in CECOT reportedly face harsh conditions. Many inmates share windowless cages, are banned from receiving books or letters from family, have meatless meals and are required to be indoors 23.5 hours a day.
President Donald Trump suggested he would be open to sending prisoners there. However, he said he was not sure about the legality. Rubio also noted that the Constitution may create legal issues.
Trump has already launched plans to detain people abroad. He has directed the military to prepare its base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where people taken into custody during deportation raids can be held.
Sending prisoners abroad, particularly to El Salvador as opposed to a U.S. base, may qualify as deportation. However, it is illegal to do to a U.S. citizen.
The prison’s conditions may also be unconstitutional. Outside groups note the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee to due process. The groups also say the prison’s conditions amount to cruel and unusual punishment, which the Eighth Amendment bans.
