El Salvador has been detaining nationals deported from the United States arbitrarily, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Monday. Among more than 9,000 Salvadorans deported since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second administration in January 2025, some have been sent to the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT), a mega prison known for its rampant abuses.
Key Takeaways
Human Rights Watch reports that El Salvador has arbitrarily detained nationals deported from the United States, with many held in the notorious CECOT prison without due process or contact with families. The Trump administration has deported over 9,000 Salvadorans since January 2025.
The report did not specify how many people are subject to arbitrary detention but noted that Human Rights Watch interviewed 20 relatives and lawyers of 11 Salvadorans deported between March and October 2025. These detainees cannot communicate with their families or talk to lawyers, the group said.
'They have a right to due process, to be taken before a judge, and their relatives are entitled to know where they are being held and why,' said Juanita Goebertus, the Americas director at Human Rights Watch. 'Deportation cannot mean enforced disappearance.'
El Salvador's Presidential Office did not respond to requests for comment on the report. The detentions have become a regular phenomenon since President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency in March 2022 to suppress the country's gangs. This measure, extended for nearly four years, suspends key constitutional rights and has led to around 91,300 people being detained in El Salvador.
Most detainees have been held based on scant evidence and vague accusations with very little access to due process. Prisons have been accused of human rights abuses for years, including beatings by prison guards, sexual abuse, and deteriorating conditions. Human Rights Watch reported that Salvadoran authorities have provided no information suggesting any of the detainees have been brought before a judge.
Many of the Salvadoran deportees have family in the U.S., and relatives often agonize over not knowing their whereabouts or well-being. The Trump administration claims several deported individuals are members of the MS-13 gang, but Human Rights Watch stated only 10.5% of the 9,000 Salvadorans deported had a conviction for a violent or potentially violent crime in the U.S.
The Washington Post previously reported that many deportees are still being held without due process a year after being detained. Goebertus likened the extended detention to an 'enforced disappearance' and urged the United States to stop deporting individuals into El Salvador's prison system, describing it as a 'black hole.'
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