Trump Expresses Favor for Transferring US Prisoners to Other Countries
“We have provided the United States of America with the chance to outsource a portion of its prison system,” remarked El Salvador President Nayib Bukele on X.
As discussions progress to relocate illegal immigrant inmates to facilities beyond U.S. borders, former President Donald Trump has expressed his support for the idea of transferring American citizens who are prisoners as well.
“We’re focused on removing criminals from our country who enter illegally from other nations, right? The illegal migrants, as I prefer to call them,” he stated to reporters in the Oval Office on Feb. 4. “However, we have individuals here who are just as dangerous. If we could remove them, I would be very pleased.”
Trump added that he was uncertain whether his administration could legally transfer convicted American citizens to foreign lands, but he indicated he would “do it in a heartbeat” if permitted.
He pointed out that these potential deportations would target “hardened criminals,” citing a case where an unnamed male prisoner had been arrested 42 times, each time for a serious offense. He argued that such actions would serve as a significant deterrent for criminal behavior and criticized the judicial system for repeatedly allowing these offenders back into society.
“That individual who has been arrested 42 times or 22 times or 17 times, all for heinous crimes like manslaughter, only gets released due to a weak judicial system that focuses on political figures like Trump instead of real criminals,” he stated. “They disregard our laws and laugh at them.”
Trump mentioned that while the United States would be responsible for a fee, it would be comparable to the compensation structures in place for the domestic privatized prison system, and that cost would be a small fraction of the expense of housing these criminals within the country.
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El Salvador, which has extended its offer to accept illegal immigrants of any nationality from the U.S. who are criminals, is ready to relieve America of its inmate burden. Further details will be announced regarding the offenses that would lead to such prisoners being transferred to Central America.
All relocated inmates would be accommodated in El Salvador’s new “mega-prison,” with Bukele specifying that the fee would be “relatively low for the U.S.” while also substantial enough to support his prison infrastructure.
The facility, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), opened in 2023 in Tecoluca as part of Bukele’s rigorous effort to combat crime and gang activity in his country. This mega-prison has a capacity of 40,000 inmates, with each cell housing 65 to 70 individuals, according to The Associated Press. Bukele has also consented to house members of gangs like MS-13 and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua.
“El Salvador has successfully transformed from being the world’s most perilous nation to the safest country in the Americas,” Bukele proclaimed on Twitter when the mega-prison opened. “How did we achieve this? By incarcerating criminals. Is there capacity? There certainly is now.“
Rubio stated that Bukele has offered his “full cooperation” and hailed the agreement as the most remarkable migratory arrangement globally.
Aldgra Fredly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
