Trump says ‘home-grown’ Americans are next to go to El Salvador, tells Bukele ‘gotta build about five more places’
President Trump floated sending American citizens to Salvadoran prisons during a conversation with the Central American country’s leader on Monday — suggesting he build “five more” facilities to make room.
“Home-growns are next. The home-growns. You gotta build about five more places,” Trump told President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office, prompting laughter from administration officials seated nearby.
“It’s not big enough.”
Trump, 78, has long said he is thinking about ways to send hardened criminals out of the US — in addition to the criminal migrant gang members who have already been removed to the maximum-security Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
The president said Monday he had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to look into the legal process for deporting US citizens.
“If it’s a home-grown criminal, I have no problem with that,” Trump told reporters.

