But what do we know about the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT)? How many people does it hold, what are the conditions like, and what can the inmates do while they are there?
What are conditions in CECOT like?
Few people have been inside the CECOT and been able to share their experiences, so it is thanks to CNN journalist David Culver that we are able to see the conditions inside the prison, which is reportedly able to hold as many as 40,000 inmates.
Culver visited the prison and spoke to prison officers, local police, and even a former gang leader to learn about their experience there. It is immediately obvious that there is little chance of escape due to the numerous security checks and armed officers who patrol the prison floors.
The CECOT is able to be able to hold 40,000 inmates (Handout/Presidencia El Salvador via Getty Images)
Men are also kept inside large cells which can hold around 80 people, and there isn’t any reason for them to leave, as toilet, washing, and eating facilities are all present in the cell at all times.
Those who misbehave will also be sent to solitary confinement, which is a dark room with just one tiny light from above.
How do the inmates at CECOT spend their time?
The prisoners are let outside of the cell for just 30 minutes per day for exercise, and even legal and doctor visits are conducted inside the prison, meaning that those inside rarely get to see the sun.
Occasionally, more trusted prisoners are treated to motivational talks, where they sit in rows in the corridors outside their cells.
Why is Trump sending prisoners to CECOT?
It’s difficult to ever know for sure why Trump has done something but despite the federal judge ruling against it, the President has gone ahead and sent a reported 238 people from the US to the El Salvador prison.
He has managed to do so after striking a deal with Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, in February. Bukele has also explained that he was willing to take in anyone who is deported from the US.
How many prisoners are there in CECOT?
A figure from 2024 suggests that there were around 15,000 people in the 40,000 capacity prison, which was only built in 2022 as Bukele began his own crackdown on gang crime in El Salvador.
Around 7,000 people are said to have been wrongly imprisoned in CECOT, but given the vast reduction in crime numbers since Bukele took over, it is clear he and his government consider this to be collateral damage.
The prison is the largest in Latin America, and it seems likely that the 238 sent by Trump won’t be the last so-called ‘criminals’ to be deported and holed up in CECOT.
