Bukele Meets Trump to Discuss Migration, Crime Cooperation

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele arrived at the White House for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The two leaders were expected to discuss a range of issues, including migration, tariffs, and potential cooperation on the detention of "dangerous" American criminals in El Salvador. Bukele, who has been praised by Trump for his anti-immigration policies, has been a key ally in the region, supporting the deportation of hundreds of alleged Venezuelan and Salvadoran gang members to El Salvador.

Bukele's visit to the White House comes at a time when the Trump administration has been ramping up deportations to El Salvador. The two leaders are expected to discuss further cooperation on migration, with the U.S. seeking to detain "dangerous" American criminals in El Salvador. However, the feasibility and legality of such a policy remain uncertain.

Bukele's rise to power has been marked by his tough stance on crime and corruption. He was first elected president in 2019 after a campaign focused on combating corruption. In 2022, he declared a state of emergency to tackle gang crime and sky-high homicide rates, arresting tens of thousands of people. Despite widespread condemnation for human rights abuses, Bukele has been praised for successfully reducing the number of homicides in El Salvador.

The meeting between Trump and Bukele is significant as it marks the first official visit by a Latin American leader to the Oval Office since Trump took office. The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including migration, tariffs, and potential cooperation on the detention of "dangerous" American criminals in El Salvador. The Trump administration has close diplomatic ties to El Salvador, with both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem paying visits to the country on their first overseas trips.