First to ABC: High-ranking Democrats press Trump administration on US deal with El Salvador to detain migrants

Recent court filings have brought to light concerning allegations against the Trump administration regarding a deal with El Salvador to detain over 200 Venezuelan migrants at the infamous CECOT mega-prison. According to a letter sent by four Democratic ranking members of House committees to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the administration may have misled federal judges, Congress, and the American people about the true nature of the agreement.

The letter, reviewed by ABC News, calls for the release of any undisclosed agreements between the U.S. and El Salvador concerning the migrants held at CECOT. It references court filings from July 7 that suggest the government of El Salvador declared to a United Nations working group that the deported men from the U.S. remain the “legal responsibility” of the United States.

The ranking members expressed concern that the Department of Justice may have provided misleading information to federal courts regarding the agreement with El Salvador. They are seeking clarification and transparency from the administration on this matter.

The Trump administration has maintained that the migrants at CECOT are under the jurisdiction of El Salvador and therefore cannot be returned to the U.S. However, questions have been raised about the validity of this claim, especially in light of the recent court filings.

In March, the administration used the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador as part of a multimillion-dollar deal with President Nayib Bukele. The administration argued that these individuals were members of a terrorist organization and posed a threat to national security.

Despite these claims, an ICE official stated in a sworn declaration that many of the deported individuals did not have criminal records in the U.S. as they had only been in the country for a short period of time.

The Democrats’ letter also references reporting by The New York Times alleging that the deal with El Salvador included the return of MS-13 gang leaders who had knowledge of a corrupt arrangement between Bukele and the gang. This information, if true, raises further concerns about the administration’s dealings with foreign entities.

In addition to the U.S.-El Salvador agreement, the lawmakers are demanding information on how migrants with valid asylum claims are screened before being removed from the country. They emphasize the importance of congressional oversight in ensuring that deals with foreign governments do not circumvent the legal rights of individuals.

The letter was signed by Reps. Jamie Raskin, Bennie Thompson, Robert Garcia, and Gregory Meeks, highlighting bipartisan concern over the administration’s actions. The call for transparency and accountability underscores the need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the detainment of Venezuelan migrants at CECOT.