The Department of Justice admitted on Nov. 26, 2025, that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem personally decided to deport Venezuelan immigration detainees to CECOT, El Salvador's maximum-security prison. The admission came during legal proceedings challenging the deportations. CECOT (Center for the Confinement of Terrorism) was designed by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele to house gang members.

CECOT has drawn international human rights criticism for conditions. Immigration detainees are typically deported to their home countries, not third countries. The policy departs from standard immigration enforcement procedures. Venezuelan detainees were sent to El Salvador, not Venezuela. DOJ confirmed Noem made the decision without providing legal justification.

CECOT holds accused gang members in El Salvador's crackdown on MS-13 and other gangs. The facility gained notoriety for harsh conditions and mass incarceration. Sending US immigration detainees to foreign prisons represents unprecedented deportation practice. Legal questions remain about authority to deport US detainees to third-country prisons.