Latin America Countries Face Deportation Dilemma

[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]

Analysis Latin America Countries Face Deportation Dilemma Regional reactions are muted as countries pick their battles with Washington. Osborn-Catherine-foreign-policy-columnist15 Catherine Osborn By Catherine Osborn , the writer of Foreign Policy ’s weekly Latin America Brief. Guards escort a newly admitted inmate deported from the United States to the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 16. Guards escort a newly admitted inmate deported from the United States to the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 16. Salvadoran Government via Getty Images My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In U.S. Foreign Policy Security Human Rights Catherine Osborn March 21, 2025, 4:24 PM Comment icon View Comments ( 0 ) Several Latin American leaders are cooperating with U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans for large-scale deportations from the United States—but none more enthusiastically than Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis Bukele offered last month to house deportees from the United States in a maximum security prison in El Salvador. Over the weekend, the Trump administration flew more than 200 Venezuelan migrants to the country, despite a judge’s order to block the expulsions. Several Latin American leaders are cooperating with U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans for large-scale deportations from the United States—but none more enthusiastically than Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. Trending Articles Government Built Silicon Valley From the internet to electric vehicles, a marriage between Washington and the tech industry helped make America great. Powered By Advertisement Government Built Silicon Valley X Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis Bukele offered last month to house deportees from the United States in a maximum security prison in El Salvador. Over the weekend, the Trump administration flew more than 200 Venezuelan migrants to the country, despite a judge’s order to block the expulsions. Bukele posted videos of the migrants arriving in El Salvador and mocked the U.S. judge, posting on X: “Oopsie… Too late.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted the message. A White House spokesperson said the United States is paying El Salvador’s government around $6 million for taking the deportees. Bukele said they will stay in Salvadoran prison for at least a year, with an option to extend. Bukele and the White House border czar both claimed without proof that 238 of the deportees were members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. That allegation is contested by several families of the detained, who did not have a chance to defend themselves in court. Read more in today’s Latin America Brief: Are Trump’s Deportations to El Salvador Just the Beginning? This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration . Follow along here . My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In U.S. Foreign Policy Security Human Rights Catherine Osborn Catherine Osborn is the writer of Foreign Policy ’s weekly Latin America Brief. She is a print and radio journalist based in Rio de Janeiro. X: @cculbertosborn Read More On Drugs & Crime | El Salvador | Human Rights | Migration and Immigration | Security | U.S. Foreign Policy Join the Conversation Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription. Already a subscriber? Log In . Subscribe Subscribe View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now. Subscribe Subscribe Not your account? Log out View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Please follow our comment guidelines , stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs. You are commenting as . Change your username | Log out Change your username: Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm CANCEL Confirm your username to get started. The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language. Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm