What Next | Daily News and Analysis How Trump Brought Home a Murderer
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Aug 18, 2025 Jonathan Blitzer, a staff writer at The New Yorker specializing in immigration, dives into the controversial U.S.-Venezuela prisoner swap under Trump. He reveals how over 250 Venezuelans were traded for 10 Americans, including a convicted murderer. The discussion touches on the brutal realities of prison life, ethical implications of the swap, and internal dissent within the State Department. Blitzer highlights the complexities of negotiating with authoritarian regimes and the troubling impact of harsh immigration policies on human rights.
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Harrowing Daily Abuse At CECOT
- Former detainees described daily beatings, waking at 4 a.m., and constant insults from wardens at CECOT.
- One prisoner said he was beaten to the point of fainting and woke up asking God why he was there.
Swap Reveals Policy Contradiction
- The prisoner swap freed 252 Venezuelans in exchange for 10 Americans, including one convicted of triple homicide.
- The exchange exposed a contradiction between the administration's law-and-order rhetoric and its actions in immigration policy.
U.S. Actions Mirror Travel Warnings
- The State Department travel advisory lists kidnapping, unlawful detention, torture, and arbitrary law use for Venezuela.
- Jonathan Blitzer notes the U.S. treatment of Venezuelans mirrored those exact dangers the advisory warns Americans about.
