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El Salvador Forcibly Detains Deported Citizens, Human Rights Watch Warns

3/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

Human Rights Watch reports El Salvador is forcibly disappearing and detaining Salvadorans deported from the United States since January 2025.
Among over 9,000 deportees, 11 have been detained without due process.
Deportees fled violence in El Salvador and have not been allowed to contact relatives or lawyers.
The Salvadoran government has not clarified the detention's legal basis.
HRW notes that these actions evoke memories of past dictatorships in Latin America.

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Story summary

Human Rights Watch reports El Salvador is forcibly disappearing and detaining Salvadorans deported from the United States since January 2025.
Among over 9,000 deportees, 11 have been detained without due process.
Deportees fled violence in El Salvador and have not been allowed to contact relatives or lawyers.
The Salvadoran government has not clarified the detention's legal basis.
HRW notes that these actions evoke memories of past dictatorships in Latin America.