The Trump administration's deportation policies took center stage this week as Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele visited the White House, courts continued challenging the legality of the deportations, and a Maryland senator travelled to El Salvador in an attempt to make contact with a man known to be wrongfully deported.

On April 14, Bukele visited the White House for a televised press conference attended by Trump and leading members of his cabinet. An opportunity to celebrate the close relationship between the two leaders, the meeting was chummy from the beginning. Seated next to Trump, Bukele bragged that, though the press likes to critique him for "imprisoning thousands," he had actually "liberated millions" in his country (meaning from violent crime). Trump then interrupted him to say that was a "very good line" and asked if he could "use it."

"You have 350 million people to liberate," Bukele replied, even if Trump has to "imprison some." Bukele played to all of Trump's favorites: he called the border crackdown "remarkable," asked why the media was not giving Trump the credit he deserved, and made a joke about "DEI hires."

Challenged by the press on the case of Kilmar Abrego García—a Maryland man who the government has admitted was wrongly deported to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), El Salvador's maximum security prison—Trump, the members of his cabinet, and Bukele himself addressed the case head-on. The gathered leaders oscillated between spreading falsehoods about court rulings, slandering Abrego García as a "terrorist," and feigning helplessness as to how they could possibly return him to the United States. Even though the Supreme Court had unequivocally sided with Abrego García on April 10—unanimously instructing the US government to take steps to "facilitate" his return—members of the Trump administration recast the ruling as "9-0 in our favor."

In its ruling, the Court stopped short of ordering Abrego García's return, citing the constitutional principle that the executive has sole discretion over foreign policy. Nevertheless, the administration distorted the nature of the ruling by arguing that Abrego Garcia's return was "up to El Salvador" and that their only obligation was to "facilitate" his return if Bukele chose to free him. Asked by the press if he would release him, Bukele pretended his hands were tied: "I hope you're not suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into the United States. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course I'm not going to do it. The question is preposterous."

So far, the Trump administration has provided no evidence to substantiate the claim that Abrego García had ties to criminal activity. Following the White House press conference, the New York Times released the latest in a string of media reports which found that of the original 238 migrants deported to El Salvador (Venezuelans supposedly linked to the Tren de Aragua crime network), upwards of 90% had no criminal convictions in the United States. Despite multiple court orders that cite rampant violations of due process, the deportations have continued; on April 13, the US sent another 10 alleged "criminals" to the country.

In a scathing ruling released on April 16, US District Judge James Boasberg said there was "probable cause" to hold US government officials in criminal contempt of court for ignoring his injunction against the deportation proceedings. In an effort to call attention to the matter, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen boarded a plane to El Salvador and demanded access to Abrego García. After initially being turned away, Van Hollen met briefly with Abrego García at a hotel in San Salvador on the evening of Apri 17. Bukele, with characteristic snark, tweeted after the meeting that Abrego García had "risen from the 'death camps,'" to sip "margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador." (In fact, photos appeared to indicate they were drinking water.) He also made clear that Abrego García is not returning to the United States anytime soon: "Now that he's confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador's custody."

The Trump administration's entrenchment on the matter suggests that the deportation of migrants to Salvadoran prisons will not only continue but likely expand. Fresh off meddling in Ecuadorian affairs in the lead-up to their recent election, former Blackwater CEO and mercenary boss Erik Prince reportedly pitched the Trump administration on a plan to vastly expand deportations to El Salvador. The proposal relies on the ludicrous idea of avoiding legal challenges by designating part of the Salvadoran prison CECOT as US territory. Though it is unclear to what extent the talks have advanced, the Trump administration has allegedly already discussed the idea of the United States owning part of a prison complex that has been repeatedly hit by allegations of massive human rights violations.

From NACLA Update, April 18

See our last report on the human rights crisis in El Salvador.