President Donald Trump doubled his idea of sending US citizens to foreign prisons, telling the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, who wanted to send “local criminals” to his country below, according to a video published by the Bukele office in X.
The comments occurred when Trump welcomed Bukele, a key partner in his migrant deportations, to the White House amid controversy over the Supreme Court that said that the administration should “facilitate” the return of a Maryland migrant unjustly sent to a noticeable saving imprisonment.
When the two men entered the Oval office, before journalists were allowed in the room, Trump discussed their proposal to send US citizens convicted of violent crimes to El Salvador and told Bukele that he needed to build more prisons to house them.
“Local criminals below,” Trump said, according to a live broadcast published by Bukele’s office. “I said that the homemade are the following, local crazy people. You have to build about five more places.”
Bukele was heard “well” and others in the room laughed.
“It’s not big enough,” Trump added.
President Donald Trump meets with the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on April 14, 2025.
Ken cedeno/pool/EPA-EFE/Shuttersock
Trump and several White House officials have repeatedly floated the idea of sending US citizens to El Salvador and other places, something that legal experts have said that it would be completely unconstitutional.
On Monday, during a spray with journalists, Trump said his team was “studying” the problem.
“If it is a criminal of own harvest, I have no problem,” Trump said. “Now we are studying the laws at this time, Pam [Bondi] He is studying. If we can do that, that’s good. “
“And I’m talking about violent people. I’m talking about really bad people. Very bad people. As bad as those who enter,” he continued.
Bukele first offered to house the violent American criminals shortly after Trump was inaugurated.
When the Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Bukele’s proposal in early February, he described the IT “an extraordinary act of friendship.” Although at that time, Rubio also pointed out that there would be constitutional questions about such movement, saying that “obviously there are legalities involved.”
Bukele said Monday that he was “very anxious to help” the Trump administration.
“In fact, Mr. President, has 350 million people to free. You know, but free 350 million people, you have to imprison some,” said Bukele.
Alexandra Hutzler of ABC News contributed to this report.
