Karoline Leavitt shared an update on Trump’s plan to send US citizens to the Center for Terrorism Confinement. The White House Press Secretary shared who would qualify to be deported to the El Salvador prison if the plan goes through.
Donald Trump has previously expressed his wish to send American citizens to the high-security El Salvador prison. He had mentioned how “honored” he would be to send criminals to the Center for Terrorism Confinement.
The center is especially known for the barbarian conditions in which they keep the prisoners. The prison can hold up to 40,000 inmates at once and is described as “hell on earth.” The El Salvador prison is known for the “Spartan” conditions, and it is also known as a “black hole of human rights.”
During a recent press conference, Karoline Leavitt spoke about the possibility of US citizens being deported to prison. “It is an idea he has simply floated,” the White House Press Secretary noted.
She went on to share that if Trump’s idea is followed through, the punishment will be given only to criminals who have committed extremely “heinous and violent” crimes. Criminals who have committed crimes repeatedly are also at risk of being sent to the high-security El Salvador prison.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share his views on Trump’s idea. “We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison–in exchange for a fee,” the politician wrote.
Just last week, Trump spoke about how he “loved” Bukele’s proposition. The Republican also noted how “honored” he would be to send criminals to El Salvador. “I don’t know what the law says on that,” he noted while talking to reporters.
President Trump is thrilled to send our most violent criminals down south to El Salvador’s super max prison 👇
— Farm Girl Carrie 👩🌾 (@FarmGirlCarrie) April 7, 2025
Trump also pointed out how fiscally beneficial it will be for America to house these criminals in the El Salvador prison. If they can house these horrible criminals for a lot less money than it costs us.” He concluded while noting, I’m all for it.”
The President’s statement comes amidst the public outrage his recent decisions have caused. The Trump administration has been accused of transferring 238 individuals to the prison without sufficient proof. The government accused these people of being a part of the Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua.
More public outrage came his way after he decided to invoke the wartime Alien Enemies Act. Notably, the act has only been used three times previously in the history of the USA. The act allows the President to deport or imprison non-citizens of the country in the time of war.
📣The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the Trump Administration’s use of the The Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
Judge Boasberg has been overturned! pic.twitter.com/Oh6Tkw1qIY
— DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) April 7, 2025
The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Trump being able to use the act. The ruling also stated that an individual who is about to be deported is “entitled to notice and an opportunity to challenge their removal.” The government was criticized heavily for not giving people either before deporting them.
A CNN report revealed just how barbaric the conditions are in the El Salvador prison. Prisoners are required to be confined to a cell for 23.5 hours every day. They are allowed a 30-minute walk in the hallway daily, where they are required to be shackled.
