Trump proposes to send American criminals to foreign prisons as a deterrent

• Trump Proposes Sending Criminals to Foreign Prisons
• Debate on Legality and Effectiveness of the Measure
• Reactions and Concerns from Organizations and Legal Experts

President Donald Trump of the United States has sparked controversy by announcing his intention to send American citizens convicted of serious crimes to prisons in other countries, if it were legal.

«If we had the legal right to do it, I would do it without hesitation,» Trump declared to the press at the White House.

This proposal comes in response to the high costs of maintaining these individuals in U.S. prisons and as a supposed deterrent against future crimes.

During a speech on Tuesday, Trump did not mention specific countries to send the criminals.

Trump Proposes Sending U.S. Criminals to Foreign Prisons

| NOW: Following yesterday’s proposal by Nayib Bukele, Trump says he is willing to immediately send the country’s most dangerous criminals to other countries if the legal framework allows it. pic.twitter.com/assxsksvkx

– UHN plus (@uhn_plus) February 4, 2025

However, his comment coincided with the offer from the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, to house undocumented migrants and possibly American prisoners in his mega-prison.

Trump argued that transferring these criminals would be economically beneficial for the United States and would have a significant preventive effect.

INTERESTING FOR YOU: Bukele agrees to receive migrants who commit crimes in the US

However, this proposal has raised strong criticisms and legal concerns, according to EFE.

«We could go a step further. That is, we’re talking about expelling the criminals who enter our country illegally through other countries, right?»

«The illegal immigrants, as I call them? Well, we have people who are just as bad as them in our country; if we could get them out, I would be very happy,» he stated.

Experts from the Brennan Center for Justice have questioned the legal viability of sending American citizens to foreign prisons, pointing out that these individuals are protected by the constitutional guarantees of the country.

The idea of transferring the penitentiary responsibility of the United States to other countries raises serious questions about human and procedural rights.

Civil rights advocacy organizations have expressed alarm at Trump’s words, especially his use of derogatory terms like «animals» to refer to the criminals who could be sent abroad.

Trump’s Intentions

Trump stated: «They are criminals. They are called dangerous offenders. They’ve been in jail 40 times. There are cases up to 142 times.»

«And every time they get out, they commit another crime within 24 hours, and it’s a heinous crime. A brutal crime. We don’t want these people in our country either,» he emphasized.

This rhetoric has fueled the debate over human dignity and the treatment of prisoners, both within and outside the U.S. borders.

Despite the criticisms, Trump’s proposal has found some support among those who see it as a radical but effective measure to reduce the economic and criminal burden in the United States.

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