1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

This administration's decision to deport Andry José Hernández Romero and other Venezuelans to El Salvador under the pretext of alleged gang ties is a travesty of justice. Andry is a makeup artist and member of a local theater troupe in his hometown, with no criminal record. He fled Venezuela seeking asylum due to discrimination and persecution for being gay. Sending him to one of El Salvador's notorious prisons without due process or any chance to contest the spurious allegations against him is a grave violation of human rights and refugee protections. His deportation appears to be based solely on assumptions made about his tattoos, reflecting profound ignorance about Venezuelan culture. His tattoos are emblematic of his passion for an annual festival celebrating Three Kings Day in his town, not gang affiliation. Dismissing this cultural context and using tattoos as the sole basis to label Andry a criminal is discriminatory and xenophobic. He and others like him must be given a fair opportunity to make their case in immigration court proceedings. I urge you to intervene immediately to secure Andry's release from this unjust detention in El Salvador and allow his asylum case to properly proceed through the legal system. Continuing to hold him in inhumane conditions without recourse is a stain on America's commitment to human rights and due process. Please act swiftly to rectify this egregious injustice.