Last month, U.S. immigration agents arrived at 19-year-old Leonel Echavez’s Dallas home looking for someone else. Despite having a pending immigration hearing, Echavez was taken into
custody and questioned about his tattoos. Within two days, he was deported to El Salvador — sent to one of the country’s most notorious prisons.
Echavez was among 238 Venezuelans deported under the Trump administration, all labeled as members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang recently designated a foreign terrorist group. These individuals were removed without a chance to contest the allegations in court.
A Reuters investigation — based on interviews with the families of 50 deportees and a leaked government list — found that 27 of them were not under final deportation orders and had pending immigration court dates. Judges have reportedly expressed surprise after learning some deportees failed to appear in court simply because they were no longer in the country.
The deportations followed President Trump’s invocation of the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798, allowing removal of individuals deemed threats during times of conflict. Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, have challenged the move, citing serious due process violations. A U.S. appeals court recently blocked Trump’s use of the law, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court.
In court, the ACLU revealed a government guide used to identify gang members, which assigns points for things like tattoos, hand gestures, and clothing. Experts argue such criteria are dangerously vague and risk misidentifying innocent individuals.
An administration official defended the process, saying intelligence assessments involve more than a single tattoo. But critics say the sweep has targeted barbers, tattoo artists, factory workers, and others with no gang affiliation.
Of the 50 cases examined by Reuters:
- Half had entered legally using Biden’s CBP One app.
- Eight had been detained since arriving at the border.
- Ten were arrested at routine ICE check-ins.
- Others were picked up while at work or with friends.
Family members and documents provided by Venezuelan authorities claim many deportees had no criminal history. Reuters found only six with matching names connected to minor U.S. offenses. Even ICE has acknowledged that many deported individuals have no U.S. criminal record.
Despite that, ICE officials argue that a lack of detailed information actually supports the view that these individuals are security threats.
Echavez had come to the U.S. in 2023 to seek asylum and was working legally at an aluminum plant. He lived with relatives and had a court date set for July 2026. His tattoos included a rose, an arrow, and his sister’s name.
Tattoos were a key reason many were flagged. Three-quarters of the men deported had them — many honoring family or representing professions or hobbies, not gang ties. ICE guidance claims symbols like crowns, clocks, or even sports apparel can signal Tren de Aragua membership. Yet other government documents say those same signs are not reliable indicators.
Experts, including University of Florida professor Rebecca Hanson, argue the gang has limited presence in the U.S. and that its identifiers are not as clear-cut as the government claims.
One deportee, Frengel Reyes, a painter living in Tampa, was detained at an ICE check-in. His files wrongly listed him as female and contained another person’s ID number. No gang evidence was presented. His lawyer called the process "complete lawlessness."
In another case, Andry Hernandez, a gay make-up artist, was accused of gang ties because of crown tattoos on his wrists — tributes to his parents.
As the legal fight continues, the fate of dozens of Venezuelans now in El Salvador remains uncertain — many separated from families, jobs, and their right to seek safety in the U.S. Photo by Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia commons.