Trump Proposes Deporting U.S. Citizens with Violent Criminal Records to El Salvador

In a move stirring both legal and ethical concerns, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in deporting certain violent criminals—some of whom are U.S. citizens—to El Salvador, where they would serve prison time under a developing agreement with the Central American nation.

Speaking during Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s state visit to Washington, Trump said the proposal targets individuals who commit particularly brutal crimes, such as assaulting the elderly or pushing commuters onto subway tracks.

“They’re absolute monsters,” Trump remarked. “I’d like to include them in the group of people to get them out of the country, but you’ll have to be looking at the laws on that.”

The statement marks one of Trump’s clearest endorsements yet of a deeply controversial idea: deporting naturalized and even U.S.-born citizens—something that many legal scholars argue would be unconstitutional.

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The president acknowledged legal limitations, stating his administration would only move forward “if it’s legal.” However, he did not clarify what legal processes or protections such individuals might receive before being deported.

The concept gained momentum after Bukele told Trump that El Salvador was open to housing U.S. prisoners. Trump followed up by telling reporters he “loved” the idea, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed it was a serious consideration.

Already, the U.S. has deported hundreds of suspected gang affiliates to El Salvador’s notoriously harsh “Terrorism Confinement Center”—a maximum-security facility criticized by human rights organizations. The U.S. has reportedly paid the Salvadoran government $6 million as part of this arrangement.

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One case that has drawn particular scrutiny is that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was deported despite a U.S. court order protecting him from removal. The administration later called his deportation an “administrative error.”

Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government must “facilitate and effectuate” his return, the interpretation of that mandate remains murky. Meanwhile, the Biden administration argued in a court filing that it’s under no obligation to secure Abrego Garcia’s release from prison in El Salvador.

Bukele, for his part, made it clear during his White House visit that Abrego Garcia would neither be returned to the U.S. nor freed in El Salvador. Trump responded by saying he had no intention of requesting his return.

The proposal to deport U.S. citizens, even violent ones, is likely to remain a lightning rod in political and legal circles. Critics argue it crosses a constitutional red line, while supporters see it as a tough-on-crime policy that sends a strong message. As the legal debate continues, the world watches to see whether this controversial idea gains traction—or fizzles under legal scrutiny.