"Hope India Never...": Anand Mahindra Reacts To El Salvador's Offer To US

Anand Mahindra has reacted to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's proposal to take in convicted US criminals for a fee, calling it an outsourcing opportunity he hopes India "never" adopts.

Mr Bukele, known for his tough stance on crime, suggested the US could send inmates to El Salvador's mega-prison, CECOT (Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo), as a cost-effective solution to its overcrowded prison system. "The fee would be relatively low for the US but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable," he wrote on X.

Reacting to the proposal, the Mahindra Group Chairperson tweeted, "This is one 'outsourcing' opportunity that I hope India never becomes the champion of..."

This is one ‘outsourcing' opportunity that I hope India never becomes the champion of… https://t.co/TAGU3iA9du — anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 7, 2025

His comment comes after a reported agreement between El Salvador and the Trump administration. The US is already detaining immigrants in federal prisons as part of Donald Trump's efforts to curtail illegal migration. Facilities in cities like Los Angeles, Miami, and Philadelphia are in use, with Miami's jail set to hold 500 detainees. This adds pressure to an already strained prison system facing staff shortages, violence, and poor infrastructure. With ICE's limited capacity, the administration is exploring alternative solutions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called El Salvador's offer "the most unprecedented and extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world." 

He said El Salvador agreed to continue accepting its deported citizens while also taking in criminal deportees from any nationality, including members of notorious gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. 

While calling it an "extraordinary gesture of friendship", Mr Rubio also acknowledged the legal hurdles, as the US Constitution prevents the deportation of American citizens.

"We have a constitution... But it's a very generous offer, and the administration will have to decide."

What Is the CECOT?

Opened in 2023, the CECOT is a massive high-security prison in Tecoluca, about 72 km east of San Salvador. It can hold 40,000 inmates, making it one of the largest prisons in the world.

The prison is part of Mr Bukele's crackdown on street gangs, which has led to over 84,000 arrests since March 2022. Many detainees were imprisoned without due process, raising human rights concerns.

Before Mr Bukele's crackdown, El Salvador had nearly 36,000 prisoners in April 2021. By March 2024, the number skyrocketed to 1.1 lakh people in custody - a huge figure for a country of just 6.36 million people.

The prison has drawn international scrutiny for its harsh anti-gang policies and prison conditions.