Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (May 15, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led ten colleagues today in writing to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to demand answers regarding the Trump administration’s $6 million payment to the government of El Salvador to support the detention of migrants transferred from the United States, including at the notorious Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) prison.

The letter was signed by Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

In the letter the lawmakers write, “The Trump administration has boasted of its $6 million payment to the government of El Salvador to support the detention of migrants transferred from the United States, including at Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) prison. Given the well-documented and credible allegations of gross violations of human rights at CECOT, including from reputable human rights organizations, it appears that this payment may have violated the State Department ‘Leahy law,’ a statutory prohibition against U.S. assistance to foreign security force units credibly implicated in such brutality. These allegations demand a detailed explanation from the Department of State as to whether, and if so how, it concluded that this payment was lawful.”

The lawmakers continue, “According to Charles Blaha, the former longtime Director of the State Department’s Office of Security and Human Rights, with responsibility for Leahy law vetting: ‘CECOT is a facility that exposes prisoners to torture, and cruel, degrading, and inhumane treatment and punishment. Under the Leahy [l]aw, this should disqualify CECOT from receiving U.S. assistance.’”

The lawmakers request responses by May 30, 2025, to questions, including:

  • How much has the State Department paid El Salvador to detain migrants from the United States at CECOT? Are future payments anticipated?
  • What specific uses are associated with the payment, and who are the defined end users?
  • Did the Department comply with the requirements of section 7031(a) of the Act regarding government-to-government assistance?
  • Did the State Department determine that the payment complied with its Leahy law, after conducting human rights vetting?
  • Did the State Department conduct a full review of all publicly available information sources related to the security operations at CECOT?
  • Has the State Department received any reports or submissions through its Human Rights Reporting Gateway (https://hrgshr.state.gov/en/) related to abuses at CECOT or its personnel?
  • Prior to sending the payment, did the Department of State receive any assurances — diplomatic or otherwise — from the government of El Salvador regarding its treatment of individuals in CECOT or other carceral facilities in the country?
  • Did the Department consult with its Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor or its Office of the Legal Adviser regarding the legality of the payment under the State Department Leahy law or other applicable laws and treaties, such as the Convention Against Torture?
  • Which specific State Department account or accounts were used to make the payment to El Salvador?

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