President Donald Trump has proposed sending U.S. citizens convicted of violent crimes to El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
The idea, discussed with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, aims to reduce U.S. prison costs by housing “heinous” criminals abroad. However, legal experts deem this unconstitutional, as deporting citizens violates due process and immigration law, which does not apply to U.S. nationals. Congressional approval would be a significant hurdle, requiring new legislation to authorize such an unprecedented policy. Judicial oversight poses another challenge, with courts likely to strike down the plan as violating the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
The Trump administration has already deported hundreds of alleged gang members, mostly Venezuelans, to CECOT since March 2025, using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. These deportations have faced legal challenges, including a Supreme Court ruling requiring opportunities to contest removals. Logistically, scaling this to U.S. citizens would involve complex negotiations with El Salvador and massive funding, with the U.S. already paying $20,000 per deportee annually. The proposal has sparked protests and condemnation from legal scholars, claiming warnings of authoritarian overreach and human rights violations.
We want to ask you, the reader: would you support the deportations of U.S. criminals to El Salvador? Answer in our poll below and comment your thoughts on Trump’s idea.
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