Trump’s controversial deportations trigger a massive human rights crisis in El Salvador as a ‘black hole of prison system’ swallows those sent back

A new report by Human Rights Watch dropped, revealing that El Salvador has subjected some of its nationals deported from the U.S. to enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention, as reported by Reuters. These individuals have been held without their whereabouts being revealed or being brought before a judge.

This human rights group, based out of New York, found that 11 Salvadorans were directly affected by these actions. They were among the more than 9,000 Salvadorans who have been deported since early January 2025 under President Trump’s administration.

Juanita Goebertus, who is the Americas Director for Human Rights Watch, stated that the United States really needs to “stop casting people into the black hole of El Salvador’s prison system.” President Trump has been using the 1798 Alien Enemy Act, which is a pretty old and rarely used wartime law, to deport immigrants he considers a national security risk, often with no due process.

This is a huge red flag for human rights advocates, and that could easily lead to situations like this one

Human Rights Watch also pointed out that neither the U.S. nor El Salvador has presented any evidence that these detained Salvadorans are actually gang members. The U.S. has claimed some belong to the MS-13 gang, but without proof, it’s just a claim. Lawyers and family members of the men have strongly denied any gang links, and they’ve often been left completely in the dark about where their loved ones are being held.

The report details how Human Rights Watch interviewed 20 relatives and lawyers of these 11 Salvadorans. They were deported between mid-March and mid-October 2025 and immediately detained upon arrival. The group found that none of them had been brought before a judge or even allowed contact with their families. Some of these 11 people were actually sent to El Salvador in March 2025 alongside 252 Venezuelans and were then held at a maximum-security confinement center known as CECOT.

Looking at the broader context of these deportations, the numbers are quite telling. Out of the more than 9,000 people deported from the U.S. to El Salvador since January 2025, only 10.5% had actually been convicted in the U.S. of a violent or potentially violent crime, according to Human Rights Watch. This means a vast majority weren’t convicted of such offenses, which makes the lack of due process even more concerning.

President Trump’s deportations, including those of Venezuelans to El Salvador, have already drawn strong criticism from various human rights groups. These actions have even sparked legal battles, showing just how contentious and problematic these policies are. It’s also worth noting that El Salvador itself has been under a state of emergency since President Nayib Bukele declared it in March 2022.

This state of emergency, which is still in effect today, has led to a campaign of mass arrests and, critically, the suspension of due process rights within the country. This existing environment in El Salvador makes the U.S. deportations even more perilous for those sent back.