US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele on Monday, a leader who has received significant praise from Washington for his role in the controversial migrant crackdown that is facing legal challenges.
Bukele, seen as one of the Trump administration’s closest allies in Latin America, has garnered significant support in El Salvador for his tough stance on criminal gangs. After Trump’s second-term inauguration, Bukele made a surprising offer to accept US prisoners, which Trump accepted in March by sending over 250 deportees in a rapid operation, invoking a seldom-used law from 1798.
These deportees were sent to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT mega-prison, a cornerstone of Bukele’s anti-gang efforts. While the US government claims the deported migrants were linked to criminal organizations classified as terrorists, their families argue they had no such ties. A high-profile case, that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, has sparked legal controversy after the Trump administration admitted his deportation was due to an “administrative error.”
A federal judge has ordered that Garcia be allowed to return to the United States, but Trump officials maintain that he is now solely under Salvadoran custody. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the prison partnership would be a topic of discussion during Trump and Bukele’s meeting. Trump also reiterated on social media that both nations are “working closely together to eradicate terrorist organizations and build a future of prosperity.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that 10 more “criminals” had been deported to El Salvador.
Bukele’s agreement with the US has also provided financial benefits for his government. In exchange for taking in deportees, El Salvador received $6 million, which Bukele described as a “low fee for them, but a high one for us.” However, despite the cooperation, El Salvador has been subject to a 10% tariff on exports to the United States, which complicates economic relations. El Salvador’s key exports, such as clothing, sugar, and coffee, totalled $2.1 billion in 2024, with the US being the largest market for these goods.
Jorge Arriaza, president of the Salvadoran Industrial Association, hopes Bukele’s visit to the White House will offer more clarity on how these tariffs will be enforced. The US is home to 2.5 million Salvadorans, whose remittances are vital to the Salvadoran economy. In 2024, El Salvador received $8.5 billion in remittances, which accounted for 23% of its GDP. In the first two months of 2025, remittances grew by 14% compared to the same period in 2024, likely due to concerns over potential deportations.
This ongoing alliance between Trump and Bukele, while controversial, is seen as a model for security cooperation and prosperity in the region.
