According to research by the Cato Institute, the Trump administration deported at least 50 Venezuelan men to a jail in El Salvador after they had lawfully entered the country. The analysis, which was released by the libertarian think tank, focused on the cases where records could be located and only examined the immigration data that was accessible for a subset of the individuals who were sent to El Salvador’s infamous Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot).
Were legal Venezuelan migrants wrongly deported to El Salvador?
All of them are referred to as “illegal aliens” by the authorities. However, according to Cato’s analysis, 50 males claim that they entered the country lawfully via an official border crossing point with prior authorization from the US government, out of 90 cases when the manner of entering is known.
This figure is consistent with larger patterns among Venezuelan migrants, many of whom came under a parole program during the Biden administration that gave two-year work licenses to those with sponsors in the United States or as refugees.
According to the paper, “the astounding absolute numbers are what matter most, not the proportion.” “In El Salvador, dozens of lawful immigrants lost their status and were imprisoned.”
Cato’s study contradicts the Trump administration’s claim that solely illegal individuals were deported, which was used to justify sending the men to El Salvador.
How does Cato’s study challenge Trump-era deportations?
According to the study, 24 individuals were given parole, four were relocated as refugees, one entered the US on a tourist visa, and 21 males were allowed after presenting themselves at a port of entry.
In March, the Trump administration controversially cited the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 legislation intended exclusively for use during times of war, as rationale for deporting more than 200 suspected gang members to the Cecot mega-prison. Lawyers representing Venezuelan deportees have claimed that the migrants detained at the notoriously harsh Cecot jail are subjected to both physical and psychological “torture.”
Since then, the deportations have been under intense scrutiny. Complete documents for the more than 200 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador have not yet been made public by the Trump administration. Information about 174 men whose cases have some level of public record is included in Cato’s assessment.
Why were tattoos cited as gang evidence?
Many of the deported Venezuelan males have been accused of gang participation by the Trump administration, although in many cases, it seems that the accusations are based primarily on their tattoos. Numerous tattoos that have been used as proof have nothing to do with gang participation. Many times, the marks are a reflection of cultural or personal allusions.
Cato cites the example of makeup artist Andry José Hernández Romero, who has crown tattoos on his arms that allude to the Three Kings Day festivities in his country of Venezuela.
The study is released in the midst of a widespread US immigration crackdown. The Supreme Court decided on Monday that the Trump administration may move forward with its plans to deny Venezuelans their temporary protected status (TPS). About 350,000 individuals might be subject to deportation if TPS, which protects foreign nationals who are unable to return home due to war, natural disasters, or other exceptional circumstances, is terminated.
