Supporting and expressing gratitude towards El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, former President Donald Trump tweeted in response to a video that featured hundreds of suspected criminal migrant being deported back to El Salvador from the United States. The video of the detainees in custody was captured being escorted under heavy security, casting further doubt over US immigration policy and deportation practices, and immediately spread widely on social media and across news outlets.
Trump thanked President Bukele in a public statement for his cooperation in accepting the deportees, noting the ‘firm and responsible’ leadership that has allowed the return of those suspected of posing security risks from Honduras. In emphasizing the liabilities of Aliens Enemies Act of 1798 when it comes to deporting them, Trump mentioned that some of the undocumented people were deported with the use of the authority of Aliens Enemies Act, which is a much older legal provision adopted by America at the early days of the country and it allows the United States government to hold and deport those not from a country that America is at war with. But the Act is rarely invoked in modern times and has become a chatter point in conservative legal circles when talks come about national security or immigration enforcement.
Of the 261 deportation cases in this one round, 137 were carried out based on the Alien Enemies Act. There were 101 Venezuelan nationals and 21 allegedly affiliated with the violent MS 13 gang left. Trump sought to use that inclusion of the MS-13 members to again accuse Democrats of having weak immigration policies that would allow people such as them to enter or remain in the United States. Democratic leaders played a hand in creating the very conditions that brought what he called a dangerous influx of criminal elements into American communities, he said.
Trump’s statement also brought to mind his administration’s efforts to end gang violence and illegal immigration, presenting himself as someone who will run on a putative law and order platform. Appearing at the same time when Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has been sung for or castigated for his hard-line stance on gang activity in El Salvador, his praise for Bukele conflicted. Many Salvadorans see Bukele’s mass incarceration strategy of filling the country’s prisons with thousands suspected of being gang members as a necessary crackdown on organized crime, and human rights groups have complained that the policies are acting in violation of due process and the treatment of detainees.
Footage of the deportation along with Trump’s response to it have brought up again the illegality and moral issues of mass deportations based on old and seldom used laws. Ironically, immigration advocates have questioned the use of the Alien Enemies Act as a troubling incident of civil liberties and noncitizen rights. Researchers also contend it is meant to demonstrate a preparedness among officials to utilize all legal means to safeguard national security.
However, the 101 Venezuelan nationals deported added to a complicated already sensitive diplomatic issue. For years, Venezuela has had strained relations with this country, and human rights and humanitarian concerns are heightened for deportations to the regime of Nicolás Maduro, a country in the midst of its own economic and human rights crisis.
Bukele hasn’t directly responded to Trump’s statement in depth but his administration has remained in contact with U.S. authorities on personnel and immigration enforcement issues, particularly when it comes to combating gangs and regional security. While the relationship between U.S. and El Salvador continues to be hostile on issues of sovereignty, human rights, and governance, the two countries nevertheless remain important counterparts in U.S. efforts to reduce illegal migration through Central America.
Trump’s comments are consistent with his broader thought process that continues as he campaigns and shapes the discussion in the run up to 2024 elections. High-profile incidents like this one have served as the basis for the former president to critique current policies and reassert his as a proven alternative to these issues on the issue of immigration and border security.
Given the ongoing input from legal experts, politicians and voters as it balances national security, good Samaritan and fair treatment for making migrants felt in an increasingly complex global space.