Noem visits El Salvador prison holding deportees

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem toured El Salvador’s maximum security prison for terrorists on Wednesday, where hundreds of accused gang members deported from the United States are being held. Noem shared a video standing outside a large cell filled with dozens of prisoners with shaved heads and tattoos.

Noem warned that migrants who enter America illegally could end up in the cell behind her. This prison is just one of the tools America will use against criminals, she said. She also thanked El Salvador for partnering with the United States to levy consequences against terrorists who threaten American communities.

Will the Trump administration continue sending immigrants to El Salvador? Despite the ongoing court battle around the deportations, the administration indicated its intention to keep sending accused gang members to the terror prison. After the tour with El Salvador’s Minister of Justice and Public Security Gustavo Villatoro, Noem signed an updated security agreement. When reporters asked if the detainees would be imprisoned indefinitely, Noem said it depended on the judicial process, according to the Associated Press.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report on the legal battle surrounding the Trump administration’s mass deportation.