Trump’s Deportation Black Hole

20 snips

Apr 12, 2025

Noah Lanard, a reporter for Mother Jones, dives into the disturbing cases of Venezuelan men imprisoned without trial in El Salvador's infamous mega-prison, sharing heartbreaking stories of families left in limbo. Carlos Dada, co-founder of El Faro, reveals the alarming deportation agreements between the Trump administration and El Salvador, raising questions about justice and human rights. Together, they unpack the human cost of these policies and the troubling lack of legal oversight, urging listeners to consider the deeper implications of such actions.

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ANECDOTE

Neri's Story

Neri Alvarado Borges, 25, worked at a bakery and taught swimming to disabled children.
He was deported to El Salvador's brutal CECOT prison, despite having no criminal record and following asylum procedures.

ANECDOTE

Fris's Story

Fris Hedolf de Jesus Cornejo entered the U.S. legally through CBP-1 and had a pending asylum hearing.
He was deported to CECOT without due process, possibly due to his tattoos.

INSIGHT

Unjustified Deportations

Trump justified deportations to CECOT by claiming the men belonged to Tren de Aragua.
However, investigations found no criminal records for most and gang experts dispute the use of tattoos as gang identification.

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On March 15th, federal agents rounded up more than 230 Venezuelan nationals who were then deported to El Salvador and locked up in the country’s notorious mega-prison. The Trump administration said the men belonged to a violent Venezuelan gang, but presented no evidence, and there were no court hearings in which the men could contest the allegations.

Nearly a month later, families of the Venezuelan men say they have heard nothing about their fate. It’s as if they disappeared.

“We're living in a world where you can just be rounded up with no hearing, not even an administrative hearing, nothing,” says immigration attorney Joseph Giardina. “Why couldn't you have let their cases be adjudicated? There's no logical answer other than a publicity stunt.”

This week on Reveal, Mother Jones reporters Isabela Dias and Noah Lanard speak to the families and lawyers of 10 men now imprisoned at the Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT. They vehemently deny allegations that the men are members of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization, and several provided evidence to support that.

To learn more about the Trump administration’s arrangement with the government of El Salvador, host Al Letson speaks with Carlos Dada, co-founder and director of El Faro, the Salvadaron investigative news outlet. Dada says that in addition to foreign nationals, the agreement also allows for American citizens convicted of crimes to be imprisoned in El Salvador.

As the Trump administration also targets international students who have spoken out about Israel’s war in Gaza, Reveal’s Najib Aminy reports on pro-Israel groups that are claiming to have shared lists of student protestors with the White House, and then taking credit when some of those young people are targeted for deportation.

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