President Donald Trump has once again ignited controversy with a startling new proposal: deporting US citizens to El Salvador. During a press conference alongside Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, Trump indicated his desire to expand mass deportations to include Americans he considers “homegrown criminals.” He cited examples such as individuals who commit violent crimes, suggesting they should be sent to a notorious megaprison in El Salvador, known as CECOT (Terrorism Confinement Center).
This isn’t the first time Trump has floated the idea of deporting US citizens. Following President Bukele’s suggestion of housing US prisoners in CECOT, Trump’s White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed the President’s serious consideration of such a plan. She clarified that this would target only “heinous, violent criminals” with extensive criminal records.
The legal basis for such a move remains highly questionable. While Trump recently invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants to CECOT—a law dating back to the 18th century and used controversially in the past—its application to US citizens is unclear. Experts at the Brennan Center for Justice point out the act’s limitations, primarily focusing on citizens of or those born in “enemy nations.”
The current deportation practices under the Alien Enemies Act are already fraught with concerns. The Trump administration has been criticized for using flimsy evidence, including the presence of gang tattoos (even an autism awareness ribbon was cited as evidence), to justify deportations to CECOT, a prison with documented instances of torture and beatings. Detainees have been sent without due process, and their families often contest the accusations.
The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the enforcement of the Alien Enemies Act, while litigation continues, has further fueled the debate. While the court mandated adequate notice to migrants, critics argue that the ruling still allows for the transfer of individuals to a foreign prison lacking proper legal safeguards. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported to CECOT despite a previous ruling barring his return, highlights the potential for serious errors and abuses within the system.
Trump’s latest proposal raises serious constitutional questions and ethical concerns. His willingness to expand deportations to include US citizens, using a controversial law and a prison with a horrific human rights record, represents a dramatic escalation of his already hardline immigration policies. The lack of clarity regarding legal authority and the potential for abuse only intensify the alarm surrounding this proposal.
