The United States has deported 17 more alleged gang members to El Salvador, despite ongoing legal challenges over the removal process. The U.S. State Department confirmed the deportations on Monday, stating that the group included individuals linked to the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs. The deportees were a mix of Salvadorans and Venezuelans, according to Salvadoran officials.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the group involved "murderers and rapists," but did not provide specific details about the crimes or convictions of those deported. This move comes after a court order earlier this month temporarily halted deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, a law from 1798 typically used during wartime. It remains unclear under which law the 17 deportations were carried out.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele shared a video on X, showing the deportees being loaded off a plane and into prison cells. In the post, Bukele stated that all individuals were confirmed murderers, with six accused of child rape. He emphasized that this operation was part of El Salvador’s ongoing efforts against organized crime and terrorism, although no specific details of the charges were provided.
El Salvador has agreed to accept these deportees in exchange for $6 million. However, some families of those previously deported to the country’s maximum-security prison have denied that their relatives have any gang affiliations.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport over 100 Venezuelans. This led to legal action from groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Democracy Forward, which argued that the administration violated due process rights. A temporary restraining order was imposed by a federal judge on March 15, halting the use of the law for deportations. Despite this, deportations continued, and a hearing on the case is scheduled for Thursday.
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