El Salvador’s Trump-Friendly President Mocks US Judge’s Deportation Pause with Clip of Migrants Herded Into His Prison

El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele mocked a US federal judge Sunday following a ruling that blocked President Donald Trump from invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected migrant gang members.

Trump invoked the obscure 18th Century law to deport suspected members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua. Saturday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued an order preventing the Trump administration from using the act for deportations.

Boasberg also ordered deportations planes that had already left the country to turn back – something that did not happen.

Bukele shared a screenshot of a New York Post report on Boasberg’s order and reacted with a laughing emoji. He commented, “Oopsie… Too late.”

Moments later, Bukele shared a statement from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that read, “We have sent 2 dangerous top MS-13 leaders plus 21 of its most wanted back to face justice in El Salvador. Also, as promised by @POTUS, we sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars. President @nayibbukele is not only the strongest security leader in our region, he’s also a great friend of the U.S. Thank you!”

https://x.com/nayibbukele/status/1901246959882522894

Bukele later shared a clip of suspected Tren de Aeagua members being processed for a lengthy stay in one of his country’s prisons and celebrated a deal with the US to house them.

El Salvador’s president celebrated a deal with the Trump White House and commented:

Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable).

The United States will pay a very low fee for them, but a high one for us. Over time, these actions, combined with the production already being generated by more than 40,000 inmates engaged in various workshops and labor under the Zero Idleness program, will help make our prison system self-sustainable. As of today, it costs $200 million per year. On this occasion, the U.S. has also sent us 23 MS-13 members wanted by Salvadoran justice, including two ringleaders.

One of them is a member of the criminal organization’s highest structure. This will help us finalize intelligence gathering and go after the last remnants of MS-13, including its former and new members, money, weapons, drugs, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors. As always, we continue advancing in the fight against organized crime. But this time, we are also helping our allies, making our prison system self-sustainable, and obtaining vital intelligence to make our country an even safer place. All in a single action.

Bukele concluded, “May God bless El Salvador, and may God bless the United States.”