In a move that has stunned legal experts and ignited a firestorm of criticism, former President Donald Trump said he would “love” to deport U.S. citizens and shockingly, the White House isn’t exactly denying the possibility. Yes, you read that right: the idea of deporting American citizens is now on the table.
Speaking to reporters, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the Trump administration is actively looking into whether there’s a legal route to remove American citizens from their own country. The destination? El Salvador home to one of the world’s most notorious prison systems, plagued by brutal conditions and well-documented human rights violations.
Leavitt attempted to soften the blow, saying the plan would target “heinous, violent criminals” and “repeat offenders.” But Trump has floated sending away even those who commit minor infractions, pushing the concept far beyond anything previously considered legal or constitutional.
Trump confirms border control among first priorities — as he says ‘no choice’ but to carry out mass deportations https://t.co/lV0KESFpaa pic.twitter.com/p3hsyJ2dXL
— New York Post (@nypost) November 7, 2024
“If it’s legal, right? If there is a legal pathway to do that,” Leavitt said at a press briefing, “He’s not sure. We are not sure. But it’s an idea that he has floated very publicly, in the spirit of transparency.”
Critics say this “idea” could trample on Americans’ constitutional rights, including due process protections. Legal scholars are baffled as to what authority could justify such an action. Trump has already invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants he claims are linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. Whether he plans to repurpose that same 18th-century law to expel citizens is still unclear.
The implications are chilling. Trump has praised El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s harsh tactics and called the country’s prisons where deported immigrants are currently being held—“lovely.” During a recent Air Force One interview, he doubled down, saying it would be an “honor” to send certain Americans to El Salvador.
The idea gained traction after a wave of Tesla vehicle vandalism during protests against Elon Musk’s expanding role in Trump’s government. Musk now oversees the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which has gutted federal services and jobs. Trump has demanded harsh sentences for those involved and suggested that El Salvador’s prisons would be a fitting punishment.
BREAKING NEWS: In a shocking statement, Karoline Leavitt confirms the Trump Administration is taking steps on a pathway to deport AMERICAN CITIZENS to El Salvador. This is absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/UVesM2yKrd
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) April 8, 2025
The administration argues that outsourcing incarceration to El Salvador is a cost-saving measure for American taxpayers. But the strategy has already drawn legal challenges. A federal case is underway after several planeloads of immigrants most of them Venezuelan men accused of gang affiliation were deported with no chance to contest their removal. Many fear they will be targeted by the very gangs they are accused of joining.
As debate intensifies, so does the fear that Trump’s deportation blueprint could expand far beyond immigrants. With the White House keeping the door open and Trump himself cheering the idea, the unthinkable is starting to look disturbingly possible.
