DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Tours El Salvador Migrant Prison, Doubles Down on Deportation Crackdown

Source: YouTube

Standing before a wall of tattooed inmates at El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a message to the world: the Trump administration’s deportation program is moving forward, with or without the court’s blessing. On Wednesday, Noem toured the notoriously brutal El Salvador migrant prison where the U.S. deported 238 Venezuelan nationals earlier this month under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

The deportees, many suspected members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, were flown out of the U.S. in defiance of a federal judge’s restraining order. Noem’s visit isn’t a symbolic gesture but a deliberate show of force. “If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face,” she declared while standing in front of inmates packed into a sweltering cell of the El Salvador migrant prison. Some bore tattoos associated with MS-13, although experts caution such markings aren’t always reliable indicators of gang ties.

The message was clear: due process will not stand in the way of what the administration sees as national defense.

El Salvador Migrant Prison’s Conditions Mirror the Administration’s Tone

CECOT, or the Terrorism Confinement Center, was built by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to crush organized crime. Inmates are held in crammed cells without mattresses, access to sunlight, or individual hygiene facilities. Meals consist of beans and pasta, served in a single shared bowl. The El Salvador migrant prison also features stacked bunks four high, denied even basic comforts.

Noem toured the facility under heavy security, observing the many shirtless and silent prisoners standing in formation. The El Salvador migrant prison currently holds 15,000 inmates and has now taken in over 250 Venezuelan deportees from the U.S., following a February agreement between Bukele and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. DHS reportedly hopes to increase that number in coming weeks.

Noem’s tour comes as the administration ramps up a $200 million global campaign discouraging illegal immigration and as she begins a broader Latin America trip with stops in Colombia and Mexico. At each stop, she’s expected to push for greater cooperation in receiving deportees labeled as national security threats.

Defying Courts, Invoking 1798 Wartime Powers

What makes this deportation operation historic is the law behind it. Trump authorized the transfer of the Venezuelans to the El Salvador migrant prison under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime statute first used in the 18th century and most notably enforced during World War II. It allows the president to bypass due process and deport individuals labeled as enemy nationals.

A federal judge blocked the move shortly after the deportation flights began, issuing a 14-day hold. The administration ignored the order, arguing the planes were already over international waters. This week, a federal appeals court upheld the block in a 2–1 vote. Judge Patricia Millett, one of the dissenters, issued a blistering rebuke: “Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act than has happened here.”

The ACLU and Democracy Forward have filed lawsuits, arguing the administration overstepped the limits of the Act and circumvented standard immigration protections. DHS officials insist the deportations are lawful, necessary, and part of a broader effort to protect Americans from transnational gangs.

Noem Emerges as the Face of a Hardline Immigration Policy

If there was any doubt about the administration’s resolve, Noem erased it. Her visit to the El Salvador migrant prison not only reinforced the president’s stance—it elevated her as the face of the crackdown. She wore an ICE baseball cap, flanked by guards and Secret Service agents, as she walked the dark corridors of a facility designed to instill fear.

Noem’s actions make clear the administration has no intention of slowing down its effort to remove immigrants suspected of gang ties, regardless of where the legal challenges stand. That includes individuals without convictions, some of whom have been deported based on tattoos or third-party tips. In court filings, defense attorneys revealed that several men were flagged as threats based on common Latino imagery, not evidence of criminal conduct.

Still, the message from Noem is consistent: “You are not welcome here,” she said. “We have a legal process to become a U.S. citizen, and there are consequences if you break our laws.” Her remarks and high-profile tour cap off a week of bold immigration moves that suggest the administration intends to press forward, regardless of what judges in Washington have to say.

Do you agree with the government’s decision to bypass court orders and use wartime powers for mass deportations? Tell us what you think!

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