DHS Secretary Noem Visiting El Salvador Prison

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday will visit the maximum-security prison in El Salvador, where migrants have been sent from the United States, as part of a three-country tour that will include Colombia and Mexico.

The secretary plans to visit the Terrorist Confinement Center with the El Salvadorian minister of justice, and will meet later with the country's President Nayib Bukele, reports ABC News.

Noem also plans to meet this week with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and leaders from Colombia.

Noem talked about her trip Monday during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

"I'll be in the prison where we sent [Tren De Aragua] gang members," she said. "I'll be meeting with the president and also Colombia and Mexico and talking about building these relationships so we can continue to get people out of this country that don't belong here and take them home."

Noem added that President Donald Trump has spoken with her about "sending the message worldwide" that people should not be coming into the United States illegally.

The administration is in a legal battle over sending more than 200 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang to the prison in El Salvador earlier this month, while a federal judge ordered a hold on the deportations.

Meanwhile, the Department of Human Services has announced a $200 million advertising campaign to warn people not to come to the United States illegally, while urging those who are not in the country under a legal status to leave.

"President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message for criminal aliens considering entering America illegally: don't even think about it," Assistant Homeland Security Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "If you come to our country and break our laws, we will hunt you down and lock you up. This trip underscores the importance of our partner countries to help remove violent criminal illegal aliens from the United States."

Noem said Monday that the administration is in "several other countries around the world with a message right now that's saying if you are thinking about coming to America illegally, don't do it — you are not welcome. We have a legal process to become a United States citizen, and there are consequences if you come here illegally."