The Trump administration has deported another 17 men it claims are affiliated with gangs to a Salvadoran prison.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that the men were members of the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs and were brought to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador, where a prior group of some 260 migrants were taken.
According to a White House official, the deportations were carried out under immigration authorities, not the Alien Enemies Act. The White House been sued over its use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants and has been ordered to suspend any deportations under it.
“In order to keep the American people safe, @POTUS designated the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens,” Rubio wrote on the social platform X.
“Once again, we extend our gratitude to @nayibbukele and the government of El Salvador for their unparalleled partnership in making our countries safe against transnational crime and terrorism.”
President Trump also thanked Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for “giving them such a wonderful place to live!”
A recent video Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted from the prison showed dozens of men with shaved heads crammed into a cell behind her, arranged over three layers of platforms.
The Trump administration has been under fire for flying men to the prison under alleged gang affiliations without a court hearing.
Court filings from the American Civil Liberties Union, which is challenging the use of the Alien Enemies Act, contend that many of the migrants were deported due to their tattoos. Many of the cited tattoos, it says, have no connection with the Tren de Aragua gang and include everything from roses to sports references.