PHOENIX — Kristi Noem said tens of thousands more criminal migrants could be rounded up and sent to El Salvador’s brutal Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT) prison following a ruling by the Supreme Court this week.
“You’ll see us continuing to partner with El Salvador. CECOT has the capacity for 40,000 individuals, and [El Salvador President Nayib Bukele] has said they’ll take as many as we want to send,” the Department of Homeland Security secretary said.
“There’s 14,000 there now, and he said he plans to build another prison right next to it.”
Noem visited the notorious prison last month. Getty ImagesThe revelation came during a federal raid in Phoenix Tuesday morning led by Noem in which three convicted felon migrants were busted.
Noem told The Post that there’s plenty of room in the notorious hellhole prison, and that the Trump administration won’t shy away from using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act after getting the green light from the high court on Monday.
“We’re going to continue using that act in order to return people from these terrorist organizations to face consequences and be removed from our country,” she said.
Noem also highlighted new provisions of the Alien Registration Act of 1940, which are set to go into effect on April 11. The law requires foreign nationals who have been in the US 30 days or longer to register with the federal government or be subject to fines, imprisonment or deportation.
Noem warned that illegal migrants are now criminals as the Trump admin tries to get a handle on migrants. James KeivomAs a result of that act, she said, “everyone in this country illegally” will be subject to criminal charges.
She also highlighted that following the expiration of the Alien Registration Act, “everyone in this country illegally” is now subject to criminal charges.
“Everyone should know that because we’re enforcing the Alien Registration Act, if you’ve been here longer than 30 days and haven’t registered with the government, we are now coming after you criminally,” she warned.
“This means we can come into your home and get you, charge you and remove you, and there’s fines up to $1,000 per day,” she said, adding that federal agencies are now empowered to use all of the authority at their disposal “to make sure American citizens are the only ones afforded the rights of being in this country.”
