Guatemala’s president said Wednesday after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that his country will accept migrants from other countries being deported from the United States.
Under the “safe third country” agreement announced by President Bernardo Arevalo, the deportees would then be returned to their home countries at U.S. expense.
El Salvador reached a similar agreement with the U.S., but broader. (RELATED: El Salvador Offers To Accept Illegal Alien Deportees, US Prisoners For A Fee)
El Salvador would also house U.S. prisoners, a move that could ease overcrowding in American correctional facilities.
Rubio revealed the floated proposal on Monday following discussions with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. The move is part of broader crime-fighting efforts in El Salvador, particularly targeting violent gangs such as MS-13 and Barrio 18.
Bukele, who has made combating gang violence a centerpiece of his administration, has offered to detain deported U.S. criminals at the country’s new Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). Completed in January 2023, the maximum security facility has a capacity of up to 40,000 inmates and is one of the largest prisons in the world.
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