Dangerous accusations against an immigrant community https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article302170974.htmlAdelys Ferro, executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus, an advocacy group committed to supporting the Venezuelan community that works in alliance with the left-leaning Latino Victory Project, said there isn’t concrete evidence that that hundreds of Venezuelans in the United States are Tren de Aragua. “It is unacceptable, inhumane, and extremely dangerous for an entire community to be labeled as potential members of Tren de Aragua under a law where any accusation made against a Venezuelan citizen cannot be challenged in any court,” Ferro said. She said the vast majority of Venezuelans are not criminals nor came to commit any crimes. “Criminals must face the consequences of their actions, but the vast majority of Venezuelans are not criminals and deserve the right to defend themselves,” Ferro said. “It is essential that we ensure justice is served fairly, without unjustly targeting an entire community based on baseless accusations.” The Maduro regime issued a statement rejecting the U.S. actions as an “infamous and unjust” law that criminalizes Venezuelan migration, calling it an act that evokes the darkest chapters of human history.
“The Alien Enemies Act is an anachronistic law that not only violates fundamental laws but also undermines the international legal order on human rights, the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrants,” the Venezuelan government statement read. “Venezuela rejects the persecution of our nationals, and we denounce that our compatriots in the U.S. are being subjected to persecution.”
Lindsay Toczylowski, co-founder & president/CEO of Immigrant Defenders Law Center, condemned the deportation of one of the group’s clients to El Salvador without any due process or evidence linking him to the gang Tren de Aragua, and then he disappeared. “Our client fled Venezuela last year seeking asylum in the United States. He has a strong claim. He was detained at entry because ICE alleged his tattoos are gang related. They are absolutely not,” Toczylowski said through X.
She said he is an LGBTQ arts worker in Venezuela and that his tattoos are harmless and personal. “But ICE submitted photographs of his tattoos, presenting them as proof of his alleged involvement with Tren de Aragua.” Toczylowski said: “Our client came to the U.S. seeking protection, but has spent months in ICE prisons, been falsely accused of being a gang member and today, he has been forcibly transferred — we believe to El Salvador. We are horrified by what might happen to him next.” She said the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act could lead to deportations based on mere accusations, without evidence or due process. “The accusation could be, as it is for our client, completely baseless. But they would remove them anyway, despite the dangers, despite the lack of due process. What happened today is a dark moment in our history.”
