In an unprecedented twist to U.S. immigration enforcement, hundreds of migrants, mostly Venezuelans, are being held in one of the world’s most notorious mega-prisons. It’s not in Texas or Arizona, but 70 kilometres east of San Salvador, under the iron grip of Nayib Bukele’s security state.

The United States has transferred more than 260 migrants to El Salvador, where many are now being held at CECOT, a high-security prison infamous for its overcrowded conditions and near-total isolation. Most of the deportees are Venezuelans, accused of gang ties under the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act, despite having no convictions in the U.S.

The move follows a February agreement between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. As part of the deal, the U.S. paid approximately $6 million to El Salvador to house the deportees. Salvadoran authorities say 137 of the migrants had suspected links to the Tren de Aragua gang, while another 101 Venezuelans were transferred without clear criminal charges. A smaller group of 23 were Salvadoran gang members.

What is CECOT?

CECOT, short for Terrorism Confinement Center in Spanish, is El Salvador’s flagship prison built in 2023 as part of Bukele’s sweeping anti-gang crackdown. Touted as Latin America’s largest prison, it spans 57 acres and is designed to hold up to 40,000 inmates. It has no outdoor recreation, no family visits, and inmates are often photographed packed shoulder to shoulder, barefoot, heads shaved.

The prison lies at the centre of Bukele’s emergency regime, launched in 2022, which has led to more than 84,000 arrests and made him one of the hemisphere’s most controversial leaders. Official figures claim 14,500 inmates were housed there as of August 2024, but recent updates have been withheld for “security reasons.”

Why is it controversial?

CECOT has been both praised and condemned globally. While some security hardliners — including U.S. Republicans and Argentina’s security minister — praise its deterrent effect, human rights organisations report thousands of abuses, including torture and over 360 deaths in custody.

A 2024 report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights noted that prisoners were given just 0.6 square metres of space — far below international standards.

The U.S. move to deport migrants directly into this system has sparked outrage from rights advocates who warn it bypasses due process and offloads legal responsibility onto a country still under emergency rule.

Still, Bukele remains defiant. His justice minister once vowed that no inmate would ever “leave CECOT on foot.” For those now imprisoned there, including deportees without convictions, the door may have indeed slammed shut indefinitely.

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