Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made headlines on Wednesday as she visited El Salvador’s infamous mega-prison, where the U.S. has sent hundreds of Venezuelans accused of gang affiliations.
Noem’s three-day diplomatic tour across the Americas began at El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT. The prison, capable of housing up to 40,000 inmates, has become a symbol of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies, particularly his pledge to expel millions of migrants from the U.S.
Noem said in a post on X: “I toured the CECOT, El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center. President Trump and I have a clear message to criminal illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW. If you do not leave, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and you could end up in this El Salvadorian prison.”
Accompanied by Salvadoran Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro, Noem toured the facility’s sweltering concrete cell blocks, which provide little access to the outside world. CECOT has also been at the center of Trump’s rhetoric, with the former president even suggesting that those who vandalize Teslas could be sent there, reported USA Today.
In mid-March, the Trump administration flew 261 Venezuelans to El Salvador, alleging they were members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government. However, as USA TODAY and other news outlets have reported, families, lawyers, and advocates insist that many of these men have no ties to the gang and were wrongfully deported.
Noem’s visit underscores the Trump administration’s hardline approach to immigration enforcement. While the administration argues that its actions protect national security, critics claim that the mass deportations risk violating human rights and targeting individuals without sufficient evidence. As the debate continues, the fate of these deported migrants remains uncertain, adding to the growing controversy surrounding U.S. immigration policy.
This is an insane place to record a video.
— Frank Bojazi (@FrankBojazi) March 27, 2025
