The US government has agreed to deport about 300 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador, with President Donald Trump’s administration paying $6 million for their detention. The move follows a deal between the two countries and comes after El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, discussed housing migrants in the country’s notorious prison.
El Salvador has arrested over 84,000 people since 2022 as part of its crackdown on gang violence. The alleged deportees are believed to be members of Tren de Aragua, a gang that originated in Venezuela and has been designated by Trump as a “foreign terrorist organization”.
The US District Judge James E. Boasberg has blocked any deportations under Trump’s proclamation for two weeks, citing concerns about the treatment of migrants. The deal was made possible after discussions between Bukele and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The government of President Nicolás Maduro has not taken back immigrants deported from the US, except on a few occasions. However, the agreement may have been put on hold as Boasberg’s order is in effect.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/trump-deportations-salvador-tren-aragua-64e72142a171ea57c869c3b35eeecce7