In a fiery Oval Office moment Monday, President Donald Trump unveiled a hardline plan that’s turning heads—even at Fox News.
Trump floated the idea of deporting so-called “homegrown criminals” to El Salvador during a high-profile meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. The plan? Ship American criminals to the infamous mega-prison CECOT—a facility known for its zero-tolerance tactics and iron-fisted discipline.
The reaction from Fox & Friends, usually one of Trump’s most supportive platforms, was uncharacteristically cautious.
“Legally, that might be challenging,” host Brian Kilmeade said Tuesday morning, scratching his head at how the U.S. could legally deport its own citizens. His co-host Steve Doocy chimed in with disbelief: “I can’t imagine!”
But Trump isn’t backing down.
As cameras rolled during his meeting with Bukele, the former and possibly future president leaned in and said quietly, “Homegrown criminals next… The homegrowns. You got to build about five more places.”
He later clarified: “If it’s a homegrown criminal, I have no problem deporting them.”
The move, if enacted, would mark an unprecedented shift in how the U.S. handles criminal justice—sending American-born offenders to face El Salvador’s notorious prison system, where conditions have drawn fire from human rights groups worldwide.
Even legal experts are slamming the proposal.
Harry Litman, a former U.S. attorney, told CNN it would be “a blatant constitutional violation.” UC Berkeley law professor Leti Volpp added, “The United States is absolutely prohibited from deporting U.S. citizens, whether they are incarcerated or not.”
But Trump doesn’t seem interested in legal red tape.
He’s leaning heavily on his renewed partnership with Bukele, who has become something of a conservative folk hero for slashing crime by locking up tens of thousands of suspected gang members in record time. And Trump wants to bring that same energy to America.
“If we did that here in America, maybe the crime would go down even more,” said Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt, praising Bukele’s brutal tactics. “The neighborhoods are cleaned up because of this president.”
El Salvador’s CECOT prison is a fortress. Built to house over 40,000 inmates, it’s infamous for holding prisoners in near-total isolation, with no access to phones, lawyers, or families. Online court hearings are held en masse—hundreds at a time. Human Rights Watch has called the system inhumane and devoid of basic rights.
And it’s already caught one innocent in its grip.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Maryland resident with a legal work permit, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador on March 15. Despite a Justice Department admission of error and a judge’s order for his return, Trump’s administration has refused to act. Bukele’s response? “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?”
Trump’s team has already deported about 250 migrants in the last month under the long-dormant Alien Enemies Act. Now, he’s widening the scope—and possibly eyeing U.S. citizens next.
While legal experts cry foul, Trump’s base may see a leader who’s finally ready to get tough on crime—no matter the boundaries. As the 2024 election cycle heats up, Trump appears to be drawing a clear line: you break the law, you’re out. Even if you were born in the U.S.
And if you end up in a Salvadoran super-prison? That’s your problem.
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I want to know if I was taught wrong in school about our constitution? I thought that the President of the United States was suppose to do everything in his power to protect me? Am I wrong? I want to know if judges actually are the ones who are suppose to protect me? I don’t think there are two different constitution’s is there? My total understanding on who is commander in chief is the President right? No one cared about me for past four years. No one cared my social security was being given to everyone but me. No one cared the social security data was hacked. Or was it really hacked by outsiders? I don’t understand the democrats want all my money that was meant for me when I retire in a year. So it’s ok I don’t get anything out of what I put in? From what I have seen from DOGE they are finding all the piggy banks for democrats and rino’s. They seem to be yelling loudest. So for my entire life my government has backstabbed me. All I have seen is President Trump obey laws yet democrats have broke every one they get their hands on. Why aren’t all these democrats allowed to be above the law and leave me flat broke for retirement? I don’t see them worried about their retirement do you? Democrats have stole my retirement. Why? From what I can tell my taxes are nothing but a slush fund to protest, harm and destroy me and my country. When you have to pay others to attend your rallies you are fake like the news. You democrats want criminal illegals over me. So tell me democrats why do you hate my country so much. Why have lied to me all my life? Why did you choose illegals over me? Why did take everything from? I voted democrat for most of my life but when I saw what you lied about in President Trump first term, the rigging elections since then and everything else you did to President Trump for over eight years now along with J6. I couldn’t vote for any democrat since 2016. Then to learn you actually pay and train protesters and agitators is just against what America means to me. President Trump is the only one who I see actually is working for me and my safety. Democrats have been in a tailspin since 2016. But to hurt me because they can’t control everyone is sicking. Thanks for nothing democrats.
If it saves money on stopping crime, then do it…