A member of the Salvadoran military stands guard on a bus with inmates at CECOT on March 16 in Tecoluca, El Salvador.
Handout/Salvadoran Authorities/Getty Photographs
conceal caption
toggle caption
Handout/Salvadoran Authorities/Getty Photographs
By now, you will have seen the pictures: males wearing matching jail whites, heads freshly shaved, marched right into a detention heart. The USA deported them earlier this month, below the Trump administration’s controversial use of the Alien Enemies Act 1798, alleging they’re a part of the worldwide legal gang Tren de Aragua.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele agreed to carry the detainees at his nation’s Terrorism Confinement Heart, or CECOT. The jail is used to detain Salvadoran gang members and has been scrutinized over alleged human and civil rights violations. The U.S. has agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison the current deportees for a yr.
Jerce Reyes Barrios, a 36-year-old skilled soccer participant and coach from Venezuela, was among the many deportees. His legal professional Linette Tobin advised Morning Version he adopted all the principles when looking for asylum within the U.S. final yr. In keeping with her, after fleeing violence in Venezuela, Reyes Barrios scheduled an appointment, waited in Mexico for 4 months, and offered himself on the border as requested.
Regardless of having no legal document in his residence nation, the daddy of two was detained in a maximum-security jail whereas awaiting his asylum listening to.
“DHS wants the public to believe these people are criminals and gang members. So if they have proof of that, why wouldn’t they release it to the public?” she mentioned.
His household discovered he had been deported after seeing him within the images of the lads deported by the U.S. to El Salvador.
In February, the Trump administration made related claims that the primary group of Venezuelan migrants it despatched to the army base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been members of Tren de Aragua. It later acknowledged in courtroom filings that lots of the folks despatched there have been low-threat people, regardless of the administration’s declare that it was sending the “worst of the worst” there.
The Division of Homeland Safety has not but responded to NPR’s request for touch upon Reyes Barrios’ case.
The next has been flippantly edited for size and readability.
On the proof DHS has offered
Linette Tobin: I’ve seen their proof. It’s restricted to this tattoo he has on his arm of a soccer ball with a crown on high. DHS says a crown tattoo is proof of gang membership. And the second factor is that this hand gesture that he made in a few Fb posts from over 10 years in the past that once more, DHS says is proof of gang membership, nevertheless it’s additionally a quite common signal that is generally often known as the Rock and Roll hand sign, or it is signal language for “I love you.”
On why the tattoo is expounded solely to soccer
Tobin: Initially, from his personal testimony to me. Additionally, we have now contacted the tattoo artist who confirmed that he’s the one who gave this tattoo, and he is confirmed what it represented, which is a fundamental replication or a tribute to the emblem of his favourite soccer workforce, Actual Madrid, from Spain. We now have additionally submitted a document from Venezuela exhibiting that he has no legal document.
On what she makes of the Assistant Secretary Dept. of Homeland Safety assertion that “DHS intelligence assessments go well beyond just gang-affiliated tattoos. This man’s own social media indicates he is a member of Tren de Aragua.”
Tobin: Not true. I’ve the doc, a printout exhibiting that he had a CBP One appointment, and that is when he was detained. And I’ve seen the proof, and all it’s is the tattoo and the hand gesture.
On whether or not his case modified below a brand new administration
Tobin: I have been working towards immigration regulation for 28 years. I’ve by no means seen something like this. It is uncharted territory. I count on he would have remained detained till he had his listening to and the decide decided. And if the choice was detrimental, then he would have been deported—to not El Salvador however to Venezuela. And if he had been granted asylum, finally, he would have been allowed to go away jail and begin a life within the U.S. Nothing modified in regards to the details and even the process of his case. The one factor that modified is the president.
On whether or not it is regular for DHS to deal with a tattoo and social media posts
Tobin: I would not say it is uncommon. They’re positively combing social media posts and different data to vet folks to ensure they don’t seem to be criminals. And do not get me improper. I am high quality with that. If somebody has a legal document, they need to be imprisoned. However my consumer would not have that. The rationale we have now courts and judges on this nation is to allow them to have a look at the proof and make a good, impartial dedication. As an alternative, DHS is making snap judgments with life-threatening penalties for these folks, based mostly on flimsy proof {that a} decide has not been capable of evaluate or make a dedication or an adjudication.
Obed Manuel and Kristian Monroe edited the digital model of this interview. Adrian Florido contributed.
