- United States
- Ore.
- Letter
The US government has admitted to mistakenly deporting Kilmer Abrego Garcia, a man who has US protected status, to a notorious El Salvadoran prison in which he is likely being tortured. He has no criminal record. He does have an American wife and an American child with special needs. Kilmer has had no contact with his family or attorney since his unlawful rendition on March 15th. ICE says it can't return him here now that he's under El Salvadoran law. This is sophistry as the US government is paying to “house” him there. The irony is that in 2011 at age 16 he fled El Salvador because gangs were extorting his parents. Others “housed” in that El Salvadoran prison include a gay Venezuelan makeup artist, known as Andrys, seeking asylum in the U.S. because he faced persecution in his home country for being LGBTQ+, but was arrested because of seemingly suspicious tattoos according to his lawyer, Lindsay Toczylowski, who has not had any contact with him since his rendition. Also, a Venezuelan barber, Franco José Caraballo Tiapa, 26, is included in a list of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador on March 15, which CBS obtained. The cause of his rendition were suspicious tattoos, though he has no criminal record in the U.S. or Venezuela, according to CBS. Further, Venezuelan professional soccer player, Jerce Reyes Barrios, 36, was removed to El Salvador when ICE officials alleged his tattoos of a soccer ball and a rosary were linked to gang affiliation, USA Today reported, citing his attorney, Linette Tobin. These men as well as everyone on those planes who were removed to El Salvador require due process to determine guilt or innocence. Bring them back as soon as humanly possible. I cannot imagine what it must be like to live in such horrific conditions.
