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On April 14, 2025, shortly after noon, the United States found itself without a law-abiding government. Some contend that this was already the case as of January 20, during Donald Trump’s inauguration. However, on that Monday, Trump blatantly disregarded a unanimous 9-0 Supreme Court verdict calling for the repatriation of an unlawfully deported man. In a shocking display, he even suggested the justices were in his corner. This disregard for the court was mirrored by his attorney general, secretary of state, vice president, and El Salvador’s vigilant President Nayib Bukele, who is now hosting what appears to be a burgeoning US detention camp.
In terms of defining moments, Trump’s interaction with Bukele stands in stark contrast to his reprimand of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late February. Zelenskyy was scolded for not expressing sufficient gratitude for US military support and for not wearing formal attire. Conversely, a tieless Bukele received lavish praise. Trump’s team approved of Bukele’s refusal to consider returning the wrongly deported Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, collectively labeling Garcia as a terrorist without evidence. The Oval Office encounter served as a civics lesson: America’s administration values a foreign dictator more than its own Supreme Court.
Trump has a knack for creating compelling television moments. Yet, he was also crafting a historical narrative. The official stance of the world’s oldest constitutional republic now asserts that judicial review is irrelevant when it comes to the executive’s decisions regarding deportation. International visitors to the US should be cautious as they can face detention without legal recourse. Americans are equally at risk. Trump mentioned to Bukele the prospect of building additional supermax prisons for “homegrown” deportees—meaning US citizens.
If Trump labels you as a gang member, a terrorist sympathizer, or merely anti-establishment, he claims authority over your freedom. The fact that one deportee was a hairdresser and another was merely an op-ed writing student provides no safety.
Trump’s legal team is scarcely making an effort to conceal their tactics. Evidence can be withheld under the guise of national security or seemingly fabricated, as was the case on Monday regarding Garcia. A government attorney who admitted that Garcia’s deportation was erroneous was promptly placed on administrative leave. If an innocent person is wrongfully deported, the US is powerless to intervene. That would infringe on another nation’s sovereignty, they maintain. This perspective comes from an administration that is simultaneously demanding territorial concessions from others. El Salvador’s sovereignty is as valid as Trump permits it. Bukele acts as Trump’s ally in the hemisphere.
The unwillingness of the White House to disclose details about its prison agreement with Bukele is telling. Corruption and authoritarianism are often intertwined. Currently, the most active ventures in the US are those focused on border security, drone technology, and paramilitary equipment. El Salvador has become a hub for mysterious vigilantism. In this regard, US-El Salvador relations may soon become reciprocal. Among those pursuing deportation contracts is Erik Prince, the former CEO of the mercenary firm Blackwater.
There are ominous signs for US investors as well. On Monday, Morgan Stanley’s research division cautioned that they “should be ready to be misled again and again.” Analysts were commenting on Trump’s ever-changing justifications for tariffs, but their sentiment—“Fool me once, shame on you…”—also reflects the state of US law. Trump has pardoned numerous fraudsters and embezzlers who contributed to his campaign or praised him publicly. He’s also suspended regulations requiring the disclosure of a company’s true ownership and those penalizing US companies for bribery abroad.
Now he is directing investigations against his detractors. His latest targets include Chris Krebs, a former federal official, for “falsely…denying that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen.” The media is also under his scrutiny. Recently, Trump unleashed a barrage of threats against CBS for airing critical interviews. He has even urged Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, to revoke the network’s broadcast license.
The 60 Minutes interview that incensed Trump featured Zelenskyy, where Ukraine’s president remarked, “Russian narratives are prevailing in the US.” This was a valid observation, considering Trump’s distorted narrative regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, Zelenskyy’s comment resonates on a larger scale. In Russia, dissent can result in the loss of business licenses, freedom, and even life. It appears inevitable that citizens of the US in less besieged Western legal systems may soon seek asylum.
