ICE Barbie Visits Hell on Earth: Noem Tours Notorious Salvadoran Prison

2025-03-27 06:01:38.507

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison known for its harsh conditions, to observe the approximately 250 alleged gang members deported there by the Trump administration. The prison houses 15,000 inmates in overcrowded cells with minimal amenities, including no mattresses or outdoor time. Noem's tour included seeing the prison's arsenal of weapons and observing inmates, many of whom were deported under the Alien Enemies Act. Following the tour, Noem met with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to discuss increasing the number of US deportees sent to CECOT. Her visit is part of a three-day tour of Latin American countries focused on combating organized crime. Noem stated that the US is sending a message to potential illegal immigrants that they are not welcome. Her trip comes amidst legal challenges to the Trump-era deportations to CECOT, with a federal appeals court upholding a temporary block on the deportations. The deal to house deportees at CECOT was arranged between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Bukele, with El Salvador charging the US an undisclosed fee.