WASHINGTON (AP) – In a controversial move, President Donald Trump's administration plans to allocate $6 million to El Salvador in a bid to imprison approximately 300 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang for one year. This arrangement marks one of the first instances where El Salvador has agreed to take in migrants previously residing in the United States.
The agreement came after negotiations between El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They discussed the implications of housing these migrants in El Salvador's notorious prison system. Bukele's administration has been on a rigorous campaign against gang violence, resulting in over 84,000 arrests since 2022, many of which have occurred amid allegations of due process violations.
Details surrounding the agreement remain sparse, particularly regarding how the Trump administration identified these 300 individuals as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which Trump has highlighted during his campaign and labeled a terrorist organization. The specific criteria for this categorization were not addressed in the memos obtained by the Associated Press.
According to a memo from El Salvador's ministry of foreign affairs, the country will house these individuals for one year while awaiting the U.S. government's decision regarding their long-term status. It was reported that the cost to house each prisoner would be around $20,000 for the year, demonstrating a substantial financial commitment from the Trump administration.
Furthermore, a separate State Department document hinted at potential additional funding, with $15 million earmarked for housing more gang members in El Salvador. The Salvadoran memo also indicated the country’s willingness to accept two individuals identified as members of the MS-13 gang, a group that was initially formed by Salvadoran migrants in the U.S. but has since entrenched itself within El Salvador.
Among those accepted was Cesar Eliseo Sorto Amaya, who had been convicted of double homicide in El Salvador before attempting to enter the United States illegally. The other individual had been charged under the administration of President Joe Biden as a high-ranking leader of the MS-13 gang.
This agreement is reflective of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to manage immigration and gang violence by collaborating with Central American countries. However, it raises significant ethical concerns relating to the treatment of migrants as well as the implications for human rights in El Salvador, particularly given Bukele's controversial approach to governance and law enforcement.
