Under a presidential order by President Trump, 255 individuals have been wrongfully sent from the U.S. to El Salvador. This was done after targeting alleged members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) criminal group under the Alien Enemies Act. These individuals are now being held in the Centro de Confinamiento Contra el Terrorismo (CECOT), a prison known for its cruel and inhumane conditions.
We demand that the Trump administration immediately bring those wrongfully deported back to the U.S. and stop any future expulsions or deportations of Venezuelans or other nationals. The U.S. government must follow the decisions of the U.S. judiciary and respect the rights of all individuals.
Here’s what you can do:
Write to the Secretary of Homeland Security urging the Trump administration to:
- Return those who were illegally removed to El Salvador so they can continue their immigration proceedings in the U.S.
- Halt any future expulsions or deportations in compliance with U.S. court rulings.
Write to:
The Honorable Kristi Noem
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20528
USA
Email: dhssecretary@hq.dhs.gov
Salutation: Dear Secretary Noem,
And copy:
Mrs. Marybeth Krumm Turner
Minister-Counsellor & Chargé d’affaires, a.i.
Embassy of the United States of America
490 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1N 1G8
Tel: (613) 238-5335 / 688-5335 (24h) Fax: (613) 688-3082
Trump administration invokes war-time law to target migrants
On March 15, 2025, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, claiming that the Tren de Aragua (TdA) criminal group was attempting to invade the U.S. He ordered the removal of Venezuelans aged 14 and older who were allegedly linked to TdA, even if they had no criminal record.
This law has only been used during declared wars, and its last use was during World War II to imprison over 120,000 Japanese Americans in internment camps. Invoking it now to target migrants is an unprecedented misuse of power.
Court blocks expulsions, government defies order
On the same day, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of five Venezuelans facing removal. A U.S. District Court quickly issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), stopping deportations and requiring the government to halt flights to El Salvador. The government appealed, but the D.C. Circuit upheld the order. The administration has now taken the case to the Supreme Court.
Despite the legal block, the government ignored the court order and expelled 238 individuals to El Salvador on March 16. Another 17 people, including Salvadorans and Venezuelans, were deported on March 30. Many were in the middle of legal proceedings, had been granted protection under U.S. law, or were labeled as gang members without evidence—some simply because they had tattoos or were from Aragua. Shockingly, even U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials admitted that many had no criminal record and were removed based on a mere suspicion that they might commit crimes in the future.
Detention in inhumane conditions
Those expelled were sent to Centro de Confinamiento Contra el Terrorismo (CECOT), a notorious prison in El Salvador known for extreme overcrowding, medical neglect, and abuse. Reports from Amnesty International and Salvadoran organizations have documented more than 300 deaths in state custody, many showing signs of violence. Family members of those deported received no official notice—they only found out through social media, news reports, or leaked lists of names.
Additionally, those expelled were erased from the ICE Locator system, meaning their official whereabouts are unknown. These were not legal deportations, which require due process. Instead, they were expulsions without removal orders, leaving people imprisoned indefinitely in a system that routinely violates human rights.
Violating international law
The principle of non-refoulement, a core rule of international human rights law, prohibits governments from sending people to places where they face serious harm, including arbitrary detention, torture, or abuse. By forcibly sending people to El Salvador, the U.S. has failed to uphold its legal obligations and put these individuals in extreme danger.
El Salvador, in turn, must be held accountable for cooperating in these human rights violations. If any of these individuals are later deported from El Salvador to Venezuela, it would be another clear violation of international law. The U.S. government must immediately return those who were illegally expelled, allow them to continue their immigration proceedings, and halt any further removals in compliance with U.S. court rulings.
Please take action as soon as possible until July 1, 2025. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.
