President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has proposed a solution for illegal immigrants facing deportation from the United States, regardless of their nationality. He suggested that these individuals could be accommodated in El Salvador’s prison system for a fee.

This proposal comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Bukele at his lakeside country house outside San Salvador on Monday.

Bukele shared this idea in a message on Monday night, offering to host convicted criminals, including those from the U.S., in a specific prison called CECOT in exchange for payment. He explained that while the cost would be affordable for the U.S., it would be significant for El Salvador and help sustain its entire prison system.

Rubio said the Salvadoran president “has agreed to the most unprecedented, extraordinary, extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world.”

Senator Rubio visited El Salvador to seek support for President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts. His trip coincided with the departure of a deportation flight funded by the U.S., carrying 43 illegal immigrants from Panama to Colombia.

The deportation flight had 32 men and 11 women detained by Panamanian authorities after illegally crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia. The State Department said the deportations send a message of deterrence.

“Mass migration is one of the great tragedies in the modern era,” Rubio said afterward. “It impacts countries throughout the world. We recognize that many of the people who seek mass migration are often victims and victimized along the way, and it’s not good for anyone.”

Rubio is nearly half way done with his Central America tour after Monday’s visit to El Salvador. (AP)

Rubio’s trip comes during a sweeping freeze on U.S. foreign assistance and stop-work orders that have shut down taxpayer-funded programs targeting illegal immigration and crime in Central America. The State Department said that the secretary had approved waivers for certain critical programs in countries he is visiting.

The secretary will continue to urge foreign leaders to do more to help the U.S. combat illegal immigration, including in his next stops in Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, which are part of his five-nation Central American tour following the visits to Panama and El Salvador.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.