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Rep. Torres demands copy of U.S. agreement with El Salvador after questioning transfers of migrants and alleged MS‑13 ties
Summary
Representative Nydia Velázquez Torres pressed Secretary Rubio to provide Congress with copies of agreements and details after raising concerns that the U.S. has transferred certain individuals to El Salvador at President Nayib Bukele's request, and that the transfers included people with alleged MS‑13 links. Rubio said the transfers involved El
Representative[1] raised the issue of U.S. agreements with El Salvador during the subcommittee hearing and demanded that the State Department provide copies of the agreements to Congress. The representative said the United States had transferred individuals, including some Salvadorans held in the U.S., to El Salvador and that the transfers included people with alleged ties to MS‑13; she characterized some transfers as amounting to renditions that bypassed U.S. judicial processes.
Secretary Rubio said the U.S. provided law‑enforcement funding to El Salvador and that El Salvador accepted repatriations of Salvadoran nationals who were in the U.S. unlawfully and had alleged gang ties. Rubio said the Salvadoran government can use law‑enforcement funds as it chooses and that countries may accept other foreign nationals that cannot be repatriated elsewhere; he characterized the transfers as repatriations of Salvadoran nationals and other gang members whom other countries would not accept.
The representative insisted the State Department must share any agreement it entered into with El Salvador when Congress requests it; she used the committee’s unanimous‑consent process to enter press reports and affidavits into the record and asked Rubio to commit to handing over the requested agreement. Rubio responded he was “not sure what you’re referring to” and described the transfers as repatriations and law enforcement cooperation. The exchange concluded without Rubio producing the documentary agreement on the public record; the committee requested further documentation and clarity.
Members also discussed whether U.S. assistance to El Salvador complied with human‑rights vetting laws such as the Leahy law; Rubio said U.S. funding had gone to the Salvadoran government for law enforcement work and that his office’s assessment differed from some members’ characterization of the Salvadoran government as a “regime.” Committee members asked for precise accounting of assistance amounts; Rubio said he would follow up with exact figures.
The subcommittee asked for the agreement and supporting documentation; the representative’s request was entered into the hearing record and subcommittee staff indicated they would seek the materials in follow‑up correspondence.
