The Trump administration continues its aggressive immigration crackdown, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing El Salvador’s unprecedented offer to house dangerous criminals deported by the U.S., including non-Salvadoran gang members and, controversially, convicted U.S. citizens and legal residents. President Nayib Bukele has offered El Salvador’s mega-prison for this purpose, seeking a fee to sustain the country’s prison system.

This proposal aligns with Rubio’s efforts to secure “safe third country” agreements to deport migrants to countries willing to house them when their home nations, such as Cuba and Venezuela, refuse to accept them. Bukele’s harsh anti-gang crackdown has made him a key ally in the Trump administration’s regional migration strategy.

The administration’s intensified deportation measures include the removal of protections for Venezuelan nationals and the use of military planes for repatriation. Additionally, President Trump announced the expansion of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to hold up to 30,000 detainees, signaling further escalation of the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

Human rights advocates have expressed concerns over El Salvador’s prison conditions, which are described as overcrowded and dangerous, raising questions about the treatment of deported individuals. Bukele’s post on X highlighted the potential for the agreement to generate revenue for El Salvador while assisting the U.S. with its incarceration challenges.