EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Three immigrants, who had successfully obtained a restraining order against the federal government to prevent their transfer to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, were deported this past week via direct flights to Venezuela, as revealed in court documents released on Friday.
The deportation of the three individuals took place on Monday, following a federal judge’s approval of a temporary order halting any potential relocation to Guantanamo Bay. It has come to light that Venezuelan immigrants are currently being airlifted daily from a military base in El Paso, Texas, to Guantanamo as part of President Donald Trump’s stringent immigration enforcement measures.
Legal representatives of the deported individuals have raised concerns regarding false allegations made by the U.S. government linking the immigrants to gang affiliations, which could potentially endanger their safety. “The unfounded accusations made by the government, particularly the claims of affiliation with the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, pose serious risks to the lives and liberties of these individuals upon their return to Venezuela,” stated attorney Jessica Myers Vosburgh of the Center for Constitutional Rights during a hearing before a federal judge.
Several immigrant rights organizations have initiated a separate legal action seeking access to individuals who have been sent to Guantanamo Bay without the ability to consult legal counsel or communicate with their families. The ongoing crisis in Venezuela, characterized by severe economic hardships and political turmoil under President Nicolás Maduro, has forced millions of Venezuelans to flee to other parts of Latin America or seek refuge in the United States.
The Tren de Aragua gang, which has its origins in a lawless penitentiary in the central Venezuelan state of Aragua over a decade ago, continues to be a significant concern in the region.
