The Donald Trump administration has been accused of deporting a 19-year-old to the 'world's worst prison' despite knowing beforehand they had the wrong guy.
Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has made it one of his main priorities to crack down on illegal immigration into the US.
Over 250 alleged criminals have been deported to a mega jail in El Salvador called The Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT), as Trump's plan to enact mass deportations using a law from World War II is seemingly in full swing following the Supreme Court's approval of its use.
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Amid the changes, a report from Documented claims a 19-year-old Venezuelan based in New York was detained by Trump administration immigration officers and deported to the notorious El Salvador prison, which has long been accused of numerous human rights violations due to its conditions.
This was despite authorities allegedly knowing Merwil Gutiérrez was not the individual they had intended to arrest on the targeted operation.
Documented claims Gutiérrez's family have been left in the dark after the teenager was deported from the Bronx to CECOT.
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His relatives are insisting he has no criminal record or gang ties, so are ultimately concerned as to why he has been deported to El Salvador.
Wilmer Gutiérrez, the teen's father, told Documented: "I feel like my son was kidnapped. I’ve spent countless hours searching for him, going from one precinct to another, speaking with numerous people who kept referring me elsewhere.
"Yet, after all this, no one has given me any information or provided a single document about his case."
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The alleged arrest took place on February 24, with Gutiérrez being detained as he stood outside his apartment building with some pals.
"The officers grabbed him and two other boys right at the entrance to our building," Wilmer added.
As per People, William Parra, an immigration attorney from Inmigración Al Día, said: "Merwil was detained for hanging out with friends and was at the wrong place at the wrong time. ICE was not looking for him, nor is there any evidence whatsoever that Merwil was in any gang."
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UNILAD has reached out to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, from Maryland, is the most talked about individual to be sent to CECOT after being deported to the prison by mistake last month.
While Garcia did enter the country illegally sometime around 2011, a judge had previously decided in 2019 that he should not be deported because he was being threatened by a gang back in his homeland.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, World News, El Salvador
Callum Jones