Prisoners spend 23.5 hours a day locked in their cells, with a brief, 30-minute window for exercise or religious activities in a central hallway.
The Trump administration over the weekend deported hundreds of suspected gang members to El Salvador’s mega-prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center or (CECOT).Why It Matters
The administration has denied violating U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg’s order temporarily blocking deportations under an 18th-century wartime declaration aimed at Venezuelan gang members.
On Sunday morning, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that 250 alleged members of MS-13 and Tren de Aragua (TdA) gangs were deported to El Salvador, despite the judge’s directive to pause removals and return any planes carrying deportees.
TdA and MS-13 have been designated as a terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
The U.S. government’s decision to deport these individuals raises significant legal and human rights concerns. By invoking the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the administration bypassed traditional legal avenues, prompting accusations of executive overreach. Furthermore, the conditions at CECOT, a prison known for its harsh environment and mass incarceration practices, have drawn international scrutiny.What To Know
This action carried out by the Trump administration, involved individuals allegedly linked to violent criminal organizations, including Venezuela’s TdA and the notorious MS-13. Despite legal challenges, the deportations proceeded, sparking concerns over the legality of the process and the treatment of detainees at CECOT.
The migrants were expelled after Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law used only three times in U.S. history during the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II. This legislation grants the president the authority to detain or expel foreign nationals if the country is officially at war, bypassing usual protections under immigration and criminal laws.
Trump justified its use by alleging that the gangs were infiltrating the United States.
Originating in a notorious Venezuelan prison, TdA emerged amid the migration of millions of Venezuelans fleeing economic collapse. MS-13, also known as « Mara Salvatrucha », is believed to have been founded as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s by people fleeing civil war and violence in El Salvador.
