Standing in front of alleged gang members in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem drilled the message from the Trump administration to criminal illegal aliens that not only are they not welcome in America, they will face consequences if they do not leave.
In a post on X following her visit, Noem wrote, “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.”
According to the New York Post, Noem visited the notorious detention center on Wednesday to inspect conditions and discuss expanding capacity for deported gang members. The facility, infamous for its harsh treatment, currently houses 250 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs recently expelled from the U.S. under President Trump’s immigration policies. CECOT, the largest prison in Latin America, is designed to hold up to 40,000 inmates.
The detention center “is known for deliberately dehumanizing conditions intended to serve as the ultimate deterrent in El Salvador’s years-long battle against gang violence,” according to The Post.
Noem toured cell blocks, solitary confinement areas, and an armory while observing detainees silently lined up in overcrowded spaces. Her visit aligns with the Trump administration’s focus on deporting criminal illegal immigrants.
The Post reports, during her visit, Noem reportedly “viewed rows of tattooed inmates standing obediently along the bars of their massive but crammed cells and got a glimpse of the arsenal of heavy weaponry — including assault rifles — the prison’s army of guards use to maintain order.”
Gustavo Villatoro, El Salvador’s minister of justice and public security, led Noem through the facility, explaining that “no one expects that these people can go back to society and behave.”
During her discussions with President Nayib Bukele, Noem is expected to negotiate increased capacity at CECOT for future deportees as part of broader efforts to deter illegal immigration.
