Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that El Salvador has agreed to an “unprecedented” and “extraordinary” deal regarding taking in deportees.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump earlier this month threatened tariffs against Colombia for not accepting deportation flights from the United States. The move prompted the U.S. State Department to suspend consular services in Bogotá and Customs and Border Protection to impose new inspection protocols on Colombian exports.
The threat ultimately led to Colombia agreeing to accept migrants as long as they were not flown back to the country on military aircrafts.
Newsweek reached out to the State Department via online form and the Consulate of El Salvador via email on Monday night.
Deported migrants by the U.S. Government can be seen walking to the bus upon the flight arrival at Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport on January 31, 2025, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras (Photo by Jorge Salvador Cabrera/Getty Images)
What To Know
Rubio is traveling throughout Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic in the first week of February.
In a news release by the State Department, Rubio’s goal is, “to advance President Trump’s America First foreign policy.”
On Monday night, Rubio announced that El Salvador had agreed to accept not only deportees from other countries but also “do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentence in the United States even though they’re U.S. citizens or legal residents,” according to The Associated Press.
The State Department also posted about the migratory agreement on their website. Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in part, “Multiple agreements were struck to fight the waves of illegal mass migration currently destabilizing the entire region. President Bukele agreed to take back all Salvadoran MS-13 gang members who are in the United States unlawfully. He also promised to accept and incarcerate violent illegal immigrants, including members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, but also criminal illegal migrants from any country.”
“And in an extraordinary gesture never before extended by any country, President Bukele offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals, including U.S. citizens and legal residents. Secretary Rubio and President Bukele concluded a civil nuclear cooperation MOU, which was signed by the Secretary and Salvadoran Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco hours later,” Bruce said.
Trump made immigration a central theme of his successful presidential campaign. Americans largely support immigration reform overall but disagree about how policies such as deportations should be carried out.
A New York Times/Ipsos poll, carried out from January 2 to 10, found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported deportations. Eighty-eight percent supported “Deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.” Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agreed that the immigration system is broken.
In the first weeks in office, Trump has signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship, a move that quickly garnered legal pushback. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have also taken place under the new Trump administration in or near schools, and places of worship. On X (formerly Twitter), ICE has been posting regular updates of detainees and arrests.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) is seen meeting with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele at his residence at Lake Coatepeque in El Congo municipality, El Salvador, on February 3, 2025. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
What People Are Saying
President Nayib Bukele on X: “We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system. We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee. The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.”
FOX News Channel contributor Guy Benson on X: “Our American felons have to remain in domestic prisons, but illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes here getting rewarded with one-way tickets to Salvadoran prisons? Sounds good to me.”
Rubio on X speaking about his travel in Panama: “We are working with Panama to tackle illegal migration through the Darien Gap. Witnessed a repatriation flight returning over 40 migrants to Colombia. This is a powerful example of the strength of the U.S.-Panama partnership. The Trump Administration is focused on stopping illegal migration and protecting both our borders and citizens.”
Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, on X: “Regardless of your immigration status, you have rights. As reports of ICE raids increase across the country, make sure you know your rights and share them with neighbors, friends, and loved ones. And as always, my office is here to help.”
What Happens Next
Rubio will continue on his trip throughout Latin America until February 6, the State Department says.
Update 2/3/25 10:51 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 2/3/25 10:18 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional information.
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