Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff is urging the Trump administration to unequivocally reject El Salvador’s offer to hold American citizens in its prison system, condemning President Donald Trump’s initial response to the proposal.
The Democrat’s letter, sent Monday and first obtained by POLITICO, comes days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s trip to El Salvador, one stop on his tour of Central American countries intended to advance the president’s immigration agenda. After the meeting, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele proposed allowing the U.S. to place convicted criminals, including American citizens, in the country’s Terrorism Confinement Center for a fee. The mega-prison was built to house over 40,000 people and has been at the center of concerns from human rights groups over violence and overcrowding.
Concerns and Reactions
The proposal immediately spurred concerns from lawyers and advocates but was praised by top Trump administration officials, including Elon Musk and Rubio, who called it a “very generous offer” — while acknowledging the legal questions at play. And Trump said he would jail Americans in El Salvador “in a heartbeat” if he had the legal right to do it.
“Federal law does not allow the deportation of U.S. citizens, and El Salvador’s prisons are internationally notorious for life-threatening and abusive conditions,” Ossoff wrote in a letter to Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi. “I urge you to promptly and publicly refuse President Bukele’s reported offer.”
Legal and Political Implications
Any moves by the Trump administration to deport U.S. nationals to another country would face significant legal challenges, but last week’s discussions underscore the major role Trump officials see El Salvador playing in their efforts to secure regional collaboration on the president’s aggressive immigration policies. And Trump’s engagement with the idea also underscored his willingness to embrace extreme and unprecedented ideas to show toughness on crime and illegal immigration — hallmark issues of his presidential campaign.
Bukele’s harsh prisons have been a focal point of his aggressive campaign against crime. Since March 2022, more than 84,000 have been arrested — many with little to no due process — as Bukele has used the military and a state-of-emergency to crack down on criminals. The State Department’s travel advisory for the country warns that those imprisoned could face “harsh” conditions.
Democratic Response
“It would be a moral and legal travesty for the U.S. government to subject anyone to such conditions,” Ossoff said.
Ossoff’s response also offers clues about how and when Democrats will choose to fight Trump. Lawmakers, especially when it comes to immigration, have been strategic in responding to the president’s moves. The party’s loudest criticism so far has been directed at Trump’s overhaul of the federal government and his efforts to push legal boundaries.
