A Gay Asylum Seeker “Disappeared” to Infamous Salvadoran Prison Has Been Released

Gay asylum seeker deported by Trump administration sent back to Venezuela

A gay makeup artist who was deported to a prison in El Salvador after seeking asylum in the US has been released as part of a prisoner-swap deal.  Andry Hernández Romero, who entered the US legally last year, having fled anti-LGBTQ+ violence in his homeland, has been sent back to Venezuela. He had been deported after showing up for a government interview. US officials accused him of having ties to violent gangs, based on his tattoos, despite law…

A Gay Asylum Seeker “Disappeared” to Infamous Salvadoran Prison Has Been Released

Immigration rights advocates warn that his safety is still in jeopardy.

Gay asylum seeker released from El Salvador megaprison, returned to Venezuela

Venezuelan makeup artist Andry José Hernández Romero, who sought asylum in the U.S. but was deported to a notorious El Salvador megaprison, has been released and returned to Venezuela. According to a story from the Bay Area Reporter, Hernández Romero’s July 18 release, part of a U.S.-brokered prisoner exchange, was confirmed by his attorneys and celebrated by LGBTQ+ activists and human rights groups. Hernández Romero’s case drew national attenti…