Trump eyes asylum deal with El Salvador to deport migrants there

Washington – The Trump administration is developing an asylum agreement with the government of El Salvador that would allow the United States to deport migrants to the small Central American country who are not from there, two sources familiar with the internal deliberations told CBS News.

This arrangement, known as a “safe third country” agreement, will enable… US immigration officials To deport non-Salvadoran immigrants to El Salvador, and prevent them from seeking asylum in the U.S. Instead, immigrants would be deported with instructions to seek asylum in El Salvador, which would be designated a “safe third country.”

The plan, if finalized, would revive an agreement the first Trump administration brokered in El Salvador’s government, although that agreement was ultimately never implemented and was ultimately terminated by the administration of former President Joe Biden.

A Safe Third Country Agreement could be a major breakthrough for the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration plans, allowing it to deport immigrants from various countries, including Venezuela, that limit or outright refuse to deport their citizens.

One domestic plan under consideration would allow the United States to send deportation flights to El Salvador that target suspects in Trince de Aragua, the Venezuelan cartel that President Trump has made a focal point in his crackdown on illegal immigration. Hours after his inauguration, Mr. Trump directed officials to begin the process of designating Tren de Aragua a terrorist group.

If this plan is implemented, it is unclear how El Salvador will handle deported gang members. Under President Nayib Bukele, the Salvadoran government subjugated El Salvador’s notorious gangs, including MS-13, through a mass incarceration campaign.

Bukele’s government is expected to be a key ally of the Trump administration. Bukele is widely popular in El Salvador, and among American conservatives, mainly because of his anti-gang policies, which international groups say involve due process violations.

The white house He said Mr. Trump and Buckle spoke by phone on Thursday and discussed “working together to stop illegal immigration and contact with transnational gangs like the Tren de Aragua.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has pledged to make curbing mass migration a top priority, is also scheduled to visit El Salvador in early February as part of a trip to Latin America later this week.

Representatives for the State Department, Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Trump has already moved quickly to launch a sweeping immigration crackdown, giving deportation officers broader powers to arrest and deport unauthorized immigrants, shutting down access to the asylum system at the U.S.-Mexico border and enlisting the vast resources of the U.S. military to enforce immigration through an emergency declaration.

Military aircraft It is being used now to deport immigrants who cross the southern border illegally, and additional active-duty troops have been deployed there to set up barriers designed to repel illegal crossings. Old federal law generally prohibits engaging in civil law enforcement.

A safe third country agreement would add another layer to Mr. Trump’s efforts to close the US border to migrants and asylum seekers, through both physical barriers and far-reaching policy changes.

It is unclear how such an arrangement would interact with Mr. Trump’s other moves on asylum, including giving border agents The authority to quickly deport immigrants Without allowing them to seek legal recourse. His administration is also reinstating a rule, known as “Remain in Mexico,” that requires asylum claimants to remain outside the United States while their cases are reviewed.

Currently, the United States has one Safe Third Country Agreement. Under this arrangement, the US and Canadian governments exchange asylum claims for those who cross their common border. The Trump administration’s first fraudulent asylum dealings deal with Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Only one with Guatemala took effect, and all three agreements were suspended once Biden took office.

Camilo Montoya Galvez

Camilo Montoya-Galvez is an immigration correspondent for CBS News. Based in Washington, he covers immigration policy and politics.