Life is a struggle for former gang members deported back to El Salvador

Americas Now

In 2018, the United States deported more than 250,000 people according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Almost 6,000 of them were known or suspected gang members.

Prisons in countries like El Salvador are packed with deportees. A number of them are young men who have been part of a murderous gang war that has claimed thousands of lives. If they get out of jail, they often have nowhere to turn even if they want to change their lives for the better and leave the violent gang world behind. They are frequently scorned by their families and much of society.

But one former gang member deported from Los Angeles is on a mission to save their lives. Correspondent Mike Kirsch reports from San Salvador.