President Donald Trump is hosting El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele at the White House, as El Salvador plays a crucial role in the U.S. administration’s deportation efforts. El Salvador has accepted over 200 Venezuelan immigrants from the U.S., accused of gang activity, and housed them in a maximum-security gang prison near San Salvador. Bukele’s popular crackdown on street gangs has made him a key ally for the Trump administration, despite lack of evidence for the claims against the deported Venezuelans.

Bukele’s readiness to assist with deportation ambitions was evident when the U.S. struck a deal to pay El Salvador to imprison the Venezuelan immigrants. The Supreme Court recently allowed the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport these individuals, emphasizing the need for court hearings before removal. Bukele’s cooperation with the U.S. on deportation efforts has been praised by officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

While Trump expressed a desire for El Salvador to also take American citizens guilty of violent crimes, the legality of such actions remains uncertain. The Supreme Court has called for the return of a Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador. Bukele’s governance, marked by a state of emergency and crackdown on gangs, has garnered support but also raised concerns about human rights.

As Bukele visits Washington, hopes are high for concrete actions benefiting Salvadorans. The relationship between Bukele and Trump has evolved, with Biden’s administration expressing criticism of Bukele’s actions. The State Department’s travel advisory now ranks El Salvador as a Level 1 destination, citing decreased gang activity and violent crime in recent years.