White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday said that President Donald Trump is now exploring legal pathways to “deport” US citizens to El Salvador. The Trump administration has already arranged to keep deported immigrants in a prison which is known for its human rights abuses.
Leavitt suggested the effort would be limited to people who have committed major crimes, but Trump has also mentioned the possibility of sending people who commit lesser offenses abroad.
Any such move by the Trump administration will almost certainly be challenged in court. It is also unclear what legal authority might be invoked to justify expelling US residents from their homeland.
Trump is now openly confirming that, yes, his government has and will deport US citizens. Every miserable asshole who called me hysterical, fear mongering, liar etc. when I said this is happening should go eat shit. https://t.co/N0kNxHcVo0
— Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) April 8, 2025
Karoline Leavitt claimed that the effort would be limited to persons who have committed significant crimes, but President Trump has also floated the possibility of sending individuals who have committed minor offences to foreign countries.
“These would be heinous, violent criminals who have broken our nation’s laws repeatedly. These are violent, repeat offenders on American streets,” Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing.
“The president has said if it’s legal, right, if there is a legal pathway to do that. He’s not sure, [and] we are not sure if there is,” Leavitt continued. “It’s an idea that he has simply floated and has discussed very publicly in the effort of transparency.”
The potential immigration of US residents to El Salvador has sparked serious concerns about human rights. The nation’s prisons have garnered renown for their brutal conditions, and studies suggest that deported immigrants may face gang threats when they return. Critics argue that this policy contradicts the Constitution’s due process guarantees.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that he “love[s]” the idea of removing U.S. citizens, adding that it would be an “honor” to send them to El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele — an eager partner in Trump’s schemes.
Trump earlier proposed the notion in March, when Tesla vehicles were vandalized and set on fire in protest of CEO Elon Musk’s overbearing role in the Trump administration. Musk has overseen the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, taking credit for massive cuts to the federal labor and services.
“I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla,” Trump wrote. “Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!”
Trump confirms border control among first priorities — as he says ‘no choice’ but to carry out mass deportations https://t.co/lV0KESFpaa pic.twitter.com/p3hsyJ2dXL
— New York Post (@nypost) November 7, 2024
The administration claims that sheltering people in El Salvador saves taxpayers money. Several planeloads of immigrants transferred there last month remain detained as a federal court case contesting their deportation moves forward.
The immigrants, largely men from Venezuela, were suspected of being gang members and deported without the opportunity to defend themselves. Court documents and reports released since their deportation indicate that many think they will be attacked by the same gangs Trump accuses them of being involved with.
Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport the immigrants to El Salvador, officially designating the Tren de Aragua gang as a hostile power and the immigrants as members. It is unclear whether he intends to utilise the same statute or a different power to remove citizens.
Critics argue that the administration’s strategy clearly violates the Constitution’s due process guarantees.
