El Salvador's Leader Warned Against Becoming a "New Guantanamo

On Easter Sunday, El Salvador's Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar voiced concerns regarding President Nayib Bukele's recent agreement with the United States. Escobar urged Bukele to avoid transforming the country into a facility akin to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.

The agreement involves El Salvador housing deported migrants from the United States in a large, controversial prison. These migrants, including many Venezuelans, are being held in conditions that human rights organizations have criticized as inhumane. Escobar referenced recent articles that warned of El Salvador potentially becoming a new Guantanamo.

The Trump administration has been sending migrants, including those with no criminal records, to El Salvador. Bukele has expressed his willingness to assist in reducing the number of undocumented migrants in the United States. However, Escobar cautioned that El Salvador could become a cost-effective location for the U.S. to detain individuals.

One of the migrants, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who lived in Maryland, was mistakenly deported and held in the CECOT prison. Senator Chris Van Hollen reported that the Salvadoran government initially obstructed his attempts to visit Abrego Garcia. The deportations are occurring as President Trump utilizes the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

The deportations have faced legal challenges. Families and lawyers dispute the characterization of those being expelled, with some claiming that their family members were targeted based on their tattoos. The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the deportations of Venezuelans held in northern Texas. Federal judges have also issued orders preventing the removal of detainees until a legal process is established.