A bunch of immigrants just got dumped into what people call the world’s worst prison. And Trump? He went ahead with it, even though a judge tried to stop him.
More than 250 people, all accused of crimes, were deported to this massive prison in El Salvador. Trump really pushed for it, despite the backlash.
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This whole thing happened under an old law that most people have probably never even heard of — the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
It’s been sitting there for ages, but the last time it actually got used was during World War II, when the U.S. locked up Japanese, German, and Italian citizens in internment camps.
Reviving an old law from the 1700s to deport non-US citizens
Trump, though, had been eyeing this law for a while. He wanted to use it to speed up deportations — specifically of people accused of gang activity or other crimes. And not just that, but without even giving them a trial first.
Trump justifies deportations as an ‘invasion’ of criminals
When Trump stepped into office, he wasted no time. Within hours, he signed an executive order saying the U.S. was dealing with an “invasion” — a wave of immigrants supposedly tied to organized crime.
El Salvador’s president agrees to take in the deportees
So how did these people end up in El Salvador? Well, Trump’s team worked out a deal with President Nayib Bukele over there, with help from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Bukele is big on cracking down on gangs, so he was all for it. He even shared photos and videos of the deportees — handcuffed and being led straight from the plane to the CECOT prison.
CECOT prison is built like a fortress with no way out
El Salvador’s notorious Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) isn’t just any prison — it’s a giant high-security complex built to keep people inside, no matter what. Opened in 2023 by President Nayib Bukele as part of his crackdown on gang violence, this place can hold up to 40,000 inmates.
The security is next level — around-the-clock surveillance, double-layered concrete walls, electrified fences, and 19 watchtowers standing tall to make sure nobody’s getting out. There are teams monitoring every move 24/7, so once someone’s locked up, that’s it.
The prison conditions are harsh and relentless
Life inside CECOT is as rough as it gets. BBC News Mundo correspondent Leire Venta, one of the few journalists who got inside, described it in unsettling detail. “It is the middle of the night, but in here, the artificial lights are never turned off,” she said.
The heat is brutal, soaring to 35C during the day with no proper ventilation — just a bit of air slipping through a lattice ceiling.
Forget comfort. There are no mattresses or sheets, just hard metal bunks stacked four stories high. The food is basic — rice, beans, hard-boiled eggs, or pasta — and inmates eat it with their hands.
Guards keep watch as inmates endure a grim existence
Security is tight. Hooded guards stand above, guns in hand, keeping constant watch. Any mistake could have consequences. Venta recalled a chilling warning from the prison director:
“Here are the psychopaths, the terrorists, the murderers who had our country in mourning. Don’t look them in the eyes. Any utensil can be [fashioned into] a deadly weapon.”
CECOT isn’t just a prison — it’s a place designed to break people down, and now, it’s where deported immigrants from the U.S. are sent.
The deportees include members of dangerous gangs
Bukele went on X (formerly Twitter) and claimed that a bunch of the people the U.S. sent over were part of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
He also said 23 of them were MS-13 members, including two major leaders. That bumped the total number up to more than 250.
“One of them is a member of the criminal organization’s highest structure,” he said. “This will help us finalize intelligence gathering and go after the last remnants of MS-13, including its former and new members, money, weapons, drugs, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors.”
Bukele claims El Salvador’s prisons will eventually fund themselves
“The United States will pay a very low fee for them, but a high one for us,” Bukele wrote.
“Over time, these actions, combined with the production already being generated by more than 40,000 inmates engaged in various workshops and labor under the Zero Idleness program, will help make our prison system self-sustainable. As of today, it costs $200 million per year.”
He believes this will help eliminate gang violence for good
He wrapped things up by saying El Salvador, together with the U.S., would keep fighting organized crime — and that his country was working on making its prison system self-sufficient.
“May God bless El Salvador, and may God bless the United States,” he finished.
Trump celebrates the move, calling the deportees ‘monsters’
Trump, of course, was thrilled. He jumped on Truth Social and called the deportees “monsters,” blaming Biden and the Democrats for letting them in.
“These are monsters sent into our Country by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats,” he said. “How dare they!”
A federal judge attempted to block the deportation
A federal judge actually tried to stop all this, but by the time the ruling came down, the flight was already in the air.
Trump’s administration said they were totally within their rights.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt put it like this: “A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from US soil,” per Sky News.
Trump thanks Bukele and blames Democrats
“Thank you to El Salvador, and in particular President Bukele, for your understanding of this horrible situation, which was allowed to happen to the United States because of Democrat leadership. We will not forget,” Trump added.
But with legal battles brewing, will Trump really get away with it?
