Trump and Bukele Strengthen U.S.-El Salvador Alliance with $6M Detention Deal

The agreement includes housing over 250 deported individuals in El Salvador's Cecot detention center, deepening security and economic ties.

Donald Trump hosted Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House on April 10, 2025, to discuss their evolving partnership on immigration and security.
El Salvador agreed to detain over 250 individuals deported from the U.S., primarily alleged gang members, in its Cecot detention center.
The U.S. provided $6 million to El Salvador as part of the deal, highlighting the economic dimension of the bilateral agreement.
The Trump administration's reactivation of an 18th-century war law to expedite deportations has drawn criticism from human rights advocates for alleged forced disappearances and detentions.
Judicial tensions persist, exemplified by the case of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran immigrant deported in error, whose return to the U.S. is being debated in court.