The President of El Salvador released video footage depicting migrants arriving at the facility (Twitter/@nayibbukele).
The relatively obscure law was previously invoked in the United States to justify the internment of Japanese, German, and Italian nationals during World War II.
Former President Trump has expressed intentions to repeal this law to facilitate the mass deportation of non-citizens accused of gang affiliations or criminal activities, often without any judicial proceedings.
An executive order, signed by the President shortly after assuming office, declared that the United States is experiencing an ‘invasion’ of immigrants associated with organized crime.
The Trump administration has denied any misconduct regarding this initiative (El Salvador Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images).
It seems that the group of migrants transported to the high-security Counter-Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) was processed under this law, following an agreement reached between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
Bukele, who is committed to combating gang violence in his country, shared images and videos of the detained individuals, who were seen handcuffed as they disembarked from the aircraft and were escorted to the prison.
On Twitter, he asserted that many of the new arrivals were part of the Venezuelan criminal group, Tren de Aragua.
The U.S. President referred to them as ‘monsters’ (El Salvador Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images).
“The United States will incur a minimal cost for their transfer, while we will bear a significant expense,” he stated. “In the long run, these measures, along with the productivity generated by over 40,000 inmates participating in various workshops and labor under the Zero Idleness program, will contribute to making our prison system self-sustaining. Currently, it costs $200 million annually.”
Bukele also noted that the U.S. had sent 23 members of MS-13, including two leaders wanted by Salvadoran authorities, bringing the total to over 250.A federal judge attempted to obstruct the action (El Salvador Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images).
“One individual is part of the highest echelon of the criminal organization,” he stated. “This will assist us in completing our intelligence operations and targeting the remaining elements of MS-13, including both former and current members, as well as their finances, weapons, narcotics, safe houses, accomplices, and benefactors.”
The president concluded by affirming that the nation, in partnership with the United States, will persist in its efforts against organized crime while ensuring that its prison system becomes ‘self-sustainable.’
“May God bless El Salvador, and may God bless the United States,” he remarked.
Trump also praised the initiative, using Truth Social to label the deportees as ‘monsters’ who had been allowed entry into the United States under Joe Biden and the Democrats.
“These are monsters sent into our country by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats,” he expressed. “How dare they!”
“Thank you to El Salvador, and especially to President Bukele, for your recognition of this dire situation, which was permitted to occur in the United States due to Democratic leadership. We will not forget,” Trump added.
A federal judge sought to halt the order by ruling against the deportation while the flight was already in the air, as reported by VT.
The Trump administration asserted that its actions were lawful.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated: “A single judge in a single city cannot dictate the movements of an aircraft carrier filled with foreign terrorists who have been physically removed from US territory,” according to Sky News.