Trump administration transfers hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador's mega-prison

In March 2025, under a controversial agreement, the Trump administration transferred hundreds of immigrants, allegedly linked to the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua, to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador. This transfer is part of a $6 million deal that aims to provide the U.S. with a year’s worth of detention services for these individuals. The CECOT, constructed as a part of President Nayib Bukele's crackdown on crime, is designed to house up to 40,000 inmates and denies them basic rights such as visitation and recreational activities. As part of enforcement actions against illegal immigration, the administration expedited the deportation process while invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows for the detention of foreign nationals deemed a threat. This has raised significant concerns regarding human rights violations, particularly against Venezuelan nationals who are already facing political and social turmoil in their home country. The administration has not provided evidence that the deported individuals are indeed members of Tren de Aragua or were involved in criminal activities within the U.S. The Federal District Court Judge James E. Boasberg intervened temporarily, issuing a restraining order against the deportation of immigrants under this executive order. However, the timing was critical as reports indicated that the flights to El Salvador were executed even as the order was issued. In response to the executive action, international graduate students fear legal repercussions for their activism, citing threats to their First Amendment rights. The international community has raised eyebrows over the ethics of this arrangement, suggesting that such actions could set a dangerous precedent for U.S. immigration policy, encouraging the exploitation of international prisoner transfer agreements as a means to bypass judicial processes. Human rights organizations have criticized the conditions within CECOT, where inmates are awaiting hearings without legal representation or the ability to contest their detentions effectively, raising questions about the future of civil liberties amid heightened national security measures.