US EditionAt least 50 migrants sent to El Salvador prison entered US legally, Cato Institute finds
- The Trump administration deported about 240 Venezuelan men to a supermax prison in El Salvador on March 15, 2025, claiming they were gang members.
- This action followed legal revocation of status under the Alien Enemies Act despite disputes over due process and limited evidence of criminality.
- At least 50 of the deported men had been granted official permission to enter the U.S. through recognized programs or visas and worked in a range of jobs such as construction, cooking, and other trades.
- Investigations found that 75 percent had no criminal record, and gang membership accusations relied mainly on tattoos that experts say are unreliable indicators.
- The deportations raised serious concerns about transparency, human rights, and the lack of opportunity to contest allegations, suggesting violations of due process.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Jon Lovett and Tim Miller team up to ‘raise hell’ over gay asylum-seeker vanished to El Salvador by Trump
Andry Hernández Romero entered the U.S. legally, fleeing persecution for being gay. Then the Trump administration disappeared him, sending him to a dystopian prison. They’re trying to get him back.
Report: Over 50 Venezuelans Sent by U.S. to El Salvador Prison Had Pending Asylum Appointments
In more immigration news, a report by the Cato Institute says dozens of Venezuelans — more than 50 — who were transferred from the U.S. to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison in March had pending asylum appointments after they entered the U.S. using the Biden-era app CBP One. At least one had a temporary visa, while four others had authorization to live in the U.S. through the refugee program.
The verdict is in
It comes as no surprise that the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case isn’t unique. Indeed, it is the rule rather than the exception. Of 90 illegal kidnappings and (let’s call it what it is) renditions of Venezuelan men sent to an El Salvadorian prison by the Trump “administration,” 50 were in the United States legally. In…
The United States no longer needs higher walls, but more obedient allies. According to The Intercept, the Trump administration has negotiated with countries like Libya and Rwanda to imprison thousands of migrants outside its territory, away from legal and media scrutiny. The Salvadoran prison Cecot, promoted by Bukele as a symbol of order, today functions as the first modern concentration camp at the service of U.S. migration policy. It is not a…
Since March 15, some 260 men have been imprisoned at Cecot High Security Prison in El Salvador. They arrived there because the U.S. government arrested and transferred them without a court order and in secret. The Trump administration claims that they are dangerous criminals, but most of them have no criminal record. A report has revealed that, in addition, at least 50 of them entered the U.S. legally, although the government claims that their a…
Dozens of men deported to El Salvador prison had entered U.S. legally, report finds
Two months ago, more than 200 Venezuelan men were deported to a Salvadoran prison without due process. A new report by the Cato Institute found that dozens had entered the U.S. legally. Camilo Montoya-Galvez has details.
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