President Trump came to the public in conversation with the leaders of Central America on Monday to send American citizens out to Salvador prisons.
“Homemade is next. Homegrown. You need to build five more places,” Trump told President Naive Bukel in his oval office, prompting laughter from the administrator sitting nearby.
“It’s not big enough.”
Trump, 78, has long said he is thinking about how to send hardened criminals out of the United States, along with members of criminal immigrant gangs who have already been taken away to the largest security terrorist confinement center (CECOT) under the Alien Enemy Act of 1798.
The president said Monday that he had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate legal procedures to deport US citizens.
“If it’s a criminal in my country, I’m not a problem with that,” Trump told reporters.
“We’re studying law now. Pam is studying. If we can do that, it’s good. And I’m talking about violent people, I’m talking about really bad people.”
When asked to confirm he was talking about a naturally born American citizen, Trump replied.
“What do you think, do you have a special category of people? They’re as bad as the people who come in.”
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt confirmed on April 8 that Trump was openly pondering violent repetitive criminals in El Salvador.
“The president says, “If there’s a legal pathway to do it, he’s not sure, we’re not sure if there’s any,” she said. “The idea is that he’s floating around and is a very public discussion.”
The day before, Trump said he “loves” sending “20 wise men who push people into the subway” to a Latin American mega prison.
