Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail

U.S. deportees arrive at notorious prison in El Salvador

Some migrants in the first group deported to El Salvador were not gang members, said their lawyers and family in court

(Image credit: El Salvador Press Presidency Office / Anadolu via Getty Images)

published 1 April 2025

What happened

The Trump administration said Monday it deported another 17 alleged gang members to El Salvador for incarceration in the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center prison. The 10 Salvadoran and seven Venezuelan men were flown to El Salvador on Sunday evening from Guantánamo Bay aboard a military C-17 aircraft.

The 17 alleged members of the MS-13 or Tren de Aragua gangs were not deported under President Donald Trump's invocation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a White House official told The Washington Post, but under normal immigration powers with deportation orders. One federal judge has enjoined deportations under the Alien Enemies Act but a second judge on Friday temporarily blocked Trump from "sending anyone with a final deportation order to a third country without first giving them a 'meaningful opportunity' to seek humanitarian protection in the U.S.," the Post said. A White House official said they had complied with both orders but did not explain how.

Several Venezuelan migrants in the first group deported to El Salvador were not gang members, their lawyers and family members said in court. Documents submitted over the weekend showed that the Trump administration has "granted itself the authority to summarily deport" alleged Tren de Aragua members based on "little more than whether they have tattoos or have worn clothing associated with the criminal organization," like "basketball jerseys from the Chicago Bulls," The New York Times said.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.