SAN JOSE, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration is exploring the option of accepting an offer from El Salvador to incarcerate U.S. citizens convicted of crimes in their prisons, despite the apparent legal concerns surrounding such a proposition.
El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, put forth the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system during a meeting with Rubio.
Rubio, commenting on the proposal at a press conference in Costa Rica on Tuesday, described it as an incredible offer, an unprecedented one.
We'll need to thoroughly examine the details; legal considerations are significant. Our constitution and various legal aspects must be taken into account. This offer is exceptionally generous, Rubio stated.
The U.S. Constitution safeguards the rights of citizens, ensuring they cannot be stripped of their citizenship even if convicted of crimes, hence preventing deportation.
President Donald Trump expressed immediate willingness to implement the plan if legally feasible, underscoring potential cost savings compared to using private U.S. prisons.
We’re currently evaluating this option to potentially remove these individuals from our country, Trump stated at the White House.
In a comparable suggestion last month, Trump proposed compensating foreign nations with "a very small fee" to detain repeat criminal offenders from the U.S., framed as a cost-effective strategy.
Apart from legal implications, potential resistance to the plan is anticipated due to concerns regarding the challenging conditions in El Salvador's penitentiaries.
As per the U.S. State Department, prison settings in El Salvador are characterized as "harsh and perilous," warning against risks linked to overcrowding.
Bukele has implemented rigorous security measures in his country, resulting in a notable decrease in the crime rate by detaining over 80,000 individuals.
He offered the U.S. access to the Terrorism Confinement Center, a large-scale prison facility, to incarcerate foreign and American criminals for a fee.
Since assuming office on Jan. 20, the Trump administration has escalated deportations to Latin America, utilizing military aircraft for repatriation purposes.
Elon Musk, the billionaire spearheading Trump's efforts to streamline the federal government and reduce expenses, hailed Bukele's proposition as a "Great idea!!" on X platform.