The shocking circumstances surrounding the deportation of 24-year-old Francisco José García Casique have left his mother, Myrelis Casique López, devastated. When she recognized her son in a news report showing detainees from the US sent to the Terrorism Confinement Centre in El Salvador, she was overwhelmed with disbelief and fear for his safety. After leaving Venezuela to seek better opportunities in 2019, Francisco was deported under a controversial policy targeting alleged gang members. His family insists he is innocent and has no ties to criminal activities, highlighting the devastating impact of misguided immigration policies.
### Mother Recognizes Son Among Deportees in Salvadoran Mega-Jail Footage

### Mother Recognizes Son Among Deportees in Salvadoran Mega-Jail Footage
A Venezuelan mother identifies her son among detainees deported from the US and sent to a notorious jail, raising concerns about wrongful identifications.
In the wake of recent deportations, many Venezuelan families are left questioning the fate of their loved ones amidst rising tensions in US immigration practices.
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In Maracay, Venezuela, the heart-wrenching recognition of a son's likeness brings despair to his mother, Myrelis Casique López. She has spent 18 months hoping for his new life in the U.S. after fleeing economic turmoil, only to find him unexpectedly detained in a Salvadoran mega-prison. Francisco José García Casique, 24, had informed his mother of his imminent deportation, but what she witnessed on television shattered any hope she had. Shockingly, Francisco was among 238 Venezuelan deportees sent to the Terrorism Confinement Centre, a facility notorious for its harsh conditions, tagged by the Trump administration as affiliates of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Ms. Casique’s certainty that her son is innocent contradicts the claims made by U.S. immigration officials that those deported had been “carefully vetted”. Many deportees lack criminal records, with some families fearing their loved ones are wrongfully categorized by tattoos rather than actual affiliations. The repercussions of a 1798 law allowing deportations without due process heighten fear and uncertainty among the Venezuelan community in the U.S., leading to doubts about the motivations behind these actions. Advocacy groups and immigrant rights lawyers express concern over the future of many Venezuelans now at risk of deportation amidst an increasingly hostile political climate.
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In Maracay, Venezuela, the heart-wrenching recognition of a son's likeness brings despair to his mother, Myrelis Casique López. She has spent 18 months hoping for his new life in the U.S. after fleeing economic turmoil, only to find him unexpectedly detained in a Salvadoran mega-prison. Francisco José García Casique, 24, had informed his mother of his imminent deportation, but what she witnessed on television shattered any hope she had. Shockingly, Francisco was among 238 Venezuelan deportees sent to the Terrorism Confinement Centre, a facility notorious for its harsh conditions, tagged by the Trump administration as affiliates of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Ms. Casique’s certainty that her son is innocent contradicts the claims made by U.S. immigration officials that those deported had been “carefully vetted”. Many deportees lack criminal records, with some families fearing their loved ones are wrongfully categorized by tattoos rather than actual affiliations. The repercussions of a 1798 law allowing deportations without due process heighten fear and uncertainty among the Venezuelan community in the U.S., leading to doubts about the motivations behind these actions. Advocacy groups and immigrant rights lawyers express concern over the future of many Venezuelans now at risk of deportation amidst an increasingly hostile political climate.