1. United States
2. Letter

Immediate action must be taken to rectify the egregious violation of due process committed against Merwil Gutiérrez. Despite acknowledging he was not their intended target, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers unlawfully apprehended the 19-year-old asylum seeker, deporting him to the notoriously harsh conditions of El Salvador's high-security prison for gang members. This grave injustice is compounded by the fact that Gutiérrez has no criminal record or gang affiliations whatsoever. He fled political instability in Venezuela and was lawfully pursuing asylum in the United States when ICE capriciously snatched him from his home. Gutiérrez's continued detention in a foreign country he has never visited is an unconscionable violation of his human rights. Diplomatic intervention is urgently required to secure his immediate release and safe return to pursue his asylum claim properly. The United States must uphold its commitment to providing refuge to those fleeing persecution and cease such reckless overreach by immigration authorities.