Trump sees asylum deal with El Salvador to deport refugees.

Washington – The Trump administration is working on an asylum deal with the government of El Salvador that would allow the United States to send refugees to the tiny Central American country where they are no longer welcome, two sources familiar with the discussions told CBS.

An arrangement known as the “safe third country” agreement gives power US immigration authorities To deport non-Salvadoran immigrants to El Salvador, barring them from seeking asylum in the United States, they are deported with instructions to seek asylum in El Salvador, which is considered a “safe third country.”

If the plan is completed, the first Trump administration would renew the deal it had with the government of El Salvador, although that deal was never implemented and was ultimately terminated by former President Joe Biden’s administration.

The Safe Third Country Agreement could be a major step forward for the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration plans, which would allow migrants from countries including Venezuela to leave, where the U.S. limits or rejects deportation altogether.

One of the internal plans being considered would allow the United States to send deportation flights to El Salvador, the centerpiece of President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, including suspected Venezuelan cartel members Tran de Aragua. Hours after his inauguration, Mr. Trump ordered officials to begin the process of designating Tren de Aragua as a terrorist group.

If that plan goes ahead, it’s unclear how El Salvador will handle deported gang members. Under President Naib Bukele, the Salvadoran government has championed a mass incarceration campaign against El Salvador’s notorious gangs, including MS-13.

Buckele’s government is expected to be a key ally of the Trump administration. Bukele is widely popular among conservatives in El Salvador and the United States, largely because of his anti-piracy policies, which international groups say should violate due process.

The White House he said. Mr Trump and Bukele spoke by phone on Thursday to discuss “working together to stop illegal immigration and control transnational gangs like the Tren de Aragua”.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has pledged to make curbing mass immigration a priority, is scheduled to visit El Salvador in early February during a trip to Latin America.

Representatives for the State Department, Department of Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Trump has moved quickly to launch his sweeping immigration crackdown, giving immigration officials broad powers to detain and deport unauthorized immigrants, closing the asylum system at the U.S.-Mexico border and enlisting the U.S. military’s vast resources for immigration enforcement. through emergency notification.

Military aircraft They are used now An extra active military presence has been deployed there to deport migrants illegally crossing the southern border, and to erect barriers designed to discourage illegal crossings. Long-standing federal law generally prohibits the military from participating in civilian law enforcement.

The Safe Third Country Agreement adds another layer to Mr. Trump’s efforts to close America’s borders to immigrants and asylum seekers, both physical barriers and broader policy changes.

It is not clear how other asylum measures, including giving border agents, will interact with Mr. Trump The power to quickly deport refugees without allowing them to seek legal asylum. His administration is reinstating a law known as Remain in Mexico, which requires asylum seekers to remain outside the US while their cases are processed.

Currently, the US has one Safe Third Country Agreement. Under that arrangement, the US and Canadian governments exchange asylum seekers who cross their shared border. The first Trump administration created asylum agreements with Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Only the one with Guatemala entered into force, and all three treaties were suspended after Bioden took office.