US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited El Salvador’s high-security mega-prison on Wednesday, delivering a stark warning to immigrants regarding the administration’s tough stance on illegal immigration.
During her tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca, Kristi Noem highlighted the recent deportation of 238 Venezuelans, whom the Trump administration alleges are gang members. This visit marks a significant moment in the ongoing controversy surrounding the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
Kristi Noem stated, “If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face,” while standing in front of a packed cell of tattooed prisoners, some of whom were displaying signs of gang affiliation.
The comments underscore the administration’s resolve to accelerate mass deportations, often with minimal due process, under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
Photo: AFP
The visit follows a federal appeals court’s decision to deny the administration’s request to lift a temporary restraining order blocking these deportations. Advocacy groups, including the ACLU, have accused the administration of illegally invoking this act for immigration enforcement, asserting that it violates legal protections.
In her remarks, Kristi Noem reinforced the administration’s message, stating, “President Trump and I have a clear message to criminal illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW.” She expressed gratitude for President Nayib Bukele’s cooperation, emphasising the need to increase expulsions of violent criminals from the US.
Human rights advocates have raised concerns about the treatment of deportees in CECOT, which has documented human rights abuses.
Some family members of the deportees maintain that their relatives are not gang members but rather innocent individuals caught in the crackdown.
Salvadoran authorities confirmed that the deportees would be held in the prison for a year, with a legal team hired by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro seeking to evaluate the legality of their detention.
Kristi Noem’s tour is part of a broader Latin American trip, during which she plans to meet with leaders in Colombia and Mexico to discuss security and migration issues.
