Human Rights Watch: El Salvador’s Prisons “No Place for U.S. Deportees”

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — The Salvadoran government’s offer to house U.S.-deported immigrants, including American citizens with criminal convictions, in its prison system has drawn sharp criticism from Human Rights Watch, which warns that such a policy would fuel human rights abuses and deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis.

President Nayib Bukele has promoted the idea as part of his aggressive anti-crime campaign, praising his prison facilities as “the best in the world.”

But human rights groups say the reality inside El Salvador’s prisons is far from the image portrayed by the government.

“Sending deportees into these conditions would make the U.S. complicit in torture and abuse,” said Human Rights Watch in a statement, calling the proposal “a recipe for violence.”

El Salvador’s prison population has swelled to over 108,000 inmates—roughly 1.7% of the country’s population—despite the capacity of only 70,000.

Detainees are often held in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions with little or no access to legal representation or medical care.

One 18-year-old construction worker, recently released from pretrial detention, recounted being beaten by guards upon arrival and sent to a basement cell packed with more than 300 others. Human Rights Watch.

He described daily abuse by guards and fellow inmates, claiming one beating left him with a broken rib. Detainees often sleep on the floor or standing due to extreme overcrowding. Human Rights Watch.

Despite repeated requests, the Salvadoran government has denied Human Rights Watch access to detention facilities.

Independent medical professionals, however, have corroborated accounts of deteriorating health conditions inside the prisons.

Since Bukele launched his “war on gangs” in 2022, local human rights groups have reported over 350 deaths in custody.

Critics say the country’s State of Exception has eroded fundamental civil liberties. Mass arrests are common, and detainees are often presented in virtual hearings with hundreds of other accused individuals.

Legal protections have been suspended for nearly three years, and recent legislative changes have weakened constitutional safeguards.

Human Rights Watch warns that history is repeating itself. U.S. deportations in the 1990s helped fuel the rise of gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18. Mass incarcerations in the early 2000s further strengthened gang structures from inside prison walls.

Instead of pursuing punitive deportation policies, the U.S. should support reforms that prioritize human rights, crime prevention, and accountability, the group said.

“Without systemic change, U.S. policy risks perpetuating the same cycle of violence that has long driven migration from El Salvador,” Human Rights Watch concluded.