Trump considers deporting US citizens with criminal records to El Salvador

US President Donald Trump has suggested the possibility of deporting American citizens with criminal records to El Salvador, as part of a potential new agreement between the two countries.

Speaking at the White House alongside El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, Trump said he was interested in sending violent “homegrown criminals” to be held in El Salvador’s prisons — a move that would expand on existing deportation policies targeting foreign nationals.

“We have to follow the laws, but we also have people here — born here — who commit terrible crimes like shoving people in front of subways and attacking elderly women with baseball bats,” Trump told reporters. “They’re absolute monsters, and I’d like to include them in the group we deport, if the law allows.”

His remarks follow recent controversy over the wrongful deportation of a migrant to El Salvador’s infamous CECOT prison — one of the world’s most notorious detention facilities.

Trump’s comments echo his earlier enthusiasm for the idea. Last week, he said he “loved” the proposal after President Bukele indicated El Salvador might be willing to accept US prisoners under certain conditions.

For now, Trump emphasized that any action would need to be legally approved before moving forward.