Overview

• Over 200 Venezuelans accused of gang affiliation were deported to El Salvador under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act, despite a federal judge's initial block of the action.
• Deportees are being held in Cecot Prison, a high-security facility in El Salvador criticized for harsh conditions and human rights abuses.
• U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited Cecot Prison, recording a video warning migrants of severe consequences for illegal entry and criminal activity.
• Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, claim many deportees are innocent migrants and denounce the deportations as a breach of international obligations.
• The U.S. has provided $6 million to El Salvador for managing the deportees, as President Nayib Bukele's cooperation with the Trump administration faces scrutiny for bolstering authoritarian practices.