The United States government is moving to expand deportations of immigrants with criminal records to El Salvador’s Cecot mega prison, invoking the Alien Enemies Act—a wartime law recently upheld by the Supreme Court.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that she met with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele last week to discuss the plan. The strategy includes using the Cecot facility, a high-security prison known for holding large numbers of detainees, as the destination for deportees under this expanded program.

The use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportation purposes has sparked legal challenges. This week, federal judges in New York and Texas blocked deportations for a group of Venezuelan plaintiffs who argued that applying the law to them was unjust and lacked due process protections. These rulings have added uncertainty to the administration’s broader efforts.

The Trump administration views this policy as a key component of its national security and immigration enforcement agenda. Officials assert that transferring deportees with criminal records to a facility like Cecot sends a clear message and serves as a deterrent to illegal immigration.

However, the approach has also prompted criticism from human rights organizations, which have raised concerns about the conditions inside Cecot and the potential for abuse. The administration maintains that the effort is legal and necessary in light of current immigration challenges.

With the legal debate still unfolding, further decisions in the coming weeks could shape the future of the program and its broader implications for U.S. immigration policy and international cooperation.