Overview

• Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele finalized an agreement to detain over 250 expelled migrants, primarily alleged gang members, in El Salvador's Cecot prison.
• The U.S. provided $6 million to El Salvador in exchange for housing these detainees, while Salvadoran exports face new 10% tariffs under Trump's trade policies.
• Trump has expressed openness to transferring American criminals to Salvadoran prisons, an idea initially proposed by Bukele and now under review by U.S. officials.
• The reactivation of an 18th-century wartime law by the Trump administration has facilitated expedited deportations, bypassing standard judicial processes and sparking legal challenges.
• The case of Kilmar Ábrego García, a legally resident Salvadoran mistakenly deported, highlights ongoing legal disputes, with U.S. courts demanding his return and both administrations deflecting responsibility.