President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by suggesting that he wants to deport some US citizens to a notorious megaprison in El Salvador, known for its systematic beatings and torture. During a press conference with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Monday, Trump claimed that he would like to include "homegrown criminals" in the group of people to be deported, citing the need to remove "absolute monsters" from the country.

This is not the first time Trump has floated the idea of deporting US citizens. In March, he invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport 300 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), despite concerns about the facility's human rights record. The law, which has been on the books since the 18th century, has only been invoked three times before, most recently to incarcerate Japanese-Americans during World War II.

The Trump administration has been accused of using spurious evidence to accuse people of being linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which has led to the deportation of individuals without due process. According to ICE's "Alien Enemies Act, Validation Guide," Venezuelan men aged 14 and up can be removed under the Alien Enemies Act if they meet certain criteria, including having "gang tattoos" or communicating with other people accused of being gang members. However, critics argue that this approach is flawed and has led to the wrongful deportation of individuals.

The Supreme Court has allowed Trump to enforce the Alien Enemies Act while litigation continues, but critics argue that this will still allow the administration to send migrants to a foreign black site without any due process. The administration has also admitted to mistakenly deporting a Salvadoran man to CECOT, despite a Supreme Court order to return him to the US.

Trump's suggestion to deport US citizens to El Salvador has raised concerns about the erosion of due process and human rights. The Brennan Center for Justice notes that the Alien Enemies Act applies to both citizens of "enemy nations" and to its "natives," or those who were born there, even if they've since renounced their "enemy nation" citizenship. However, it is unclear what authority Trump would use to send US citizens to CECOT.

The implications of Trump's proposal are far-reaching and have sparked widespread criticism. Human rights monitors have documented several instances of systematic beatings and torture in CECOT, where 368 detainees have died since it opened in 2023. The proposal has also raised concerns about the potential for abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties.

As the controversy surrounding Trump's proposal continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the administration will proceed with its plans to deport US citizens to El Salvador. However, one thing is clear: the proposal has sparked a heated debate about the limits of executive power and the importance of upholding due process and human rights.