Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer a question about whether it is “legal” to send American citizens to foreign prisons during an interview on Fox News.
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of sending US citizens to a notorious prison in El Salvador including during a meeting with the country’s President Nayib Bukele at the White House on Monday.
“Homegrown criminals next,” Trump whispered to Bukele as they entered the Oval Office. “I said homegrowns are next, the homegrowns. You gotta build about five more places.”
“It’s not big enough,” Trump added.
He doubled down while speaking to reporters, saying Bondi is “studying” the issue to see whether it would be legal to send American “criminals” to a prison in El Salvador.
“I’m talking about violent people” he said. “I’m talking about really bad people. Really bad people. Every bit as bad as the ones coming in.”
In an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Watter on Monday, Bondi dodged a question about the legality of sending US citizens to El Salvador. She did however praised Trump’s push to lock up serious offenders, but also said they wouldn’t be sent “anywhere.”
“These are Americans he is saying who have committed the most heinous crimes in our country and crime is going to decrease dramatically because he has given us a directive to make America safe again,” Bondi told Fox host Jesse Watters. “These people need to be locked up as long as they can, as long as the law allows. We’re not gonna let them go anywhere and if we have to build more prisons in our country, we will do it.”
The Trump administration has already deported illegal migrants to El Salvador, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia whom the administration admitted they deported in what they called an “administrative error.”
However, Trump administration officials have doubled down and has ignored court orders, including a unanimous 9-0 ruling from the Supreme Court that they “facilitate” his return.
