Photojournalist Philip Holsinger documented the arrival of Venezuelan migrants deported from the U.S. to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison. Despite many lacking criminal records, they were subjected to a brutal intake process involving forceful handling, hair shaving, and a stripping of their identity, culminating in a dehumanizing display of forced submission. This occurred amidst El Salvador’s controversial crackdown on gangs, resulting in a massive prison population increase and human rights concerns. Holsinger’s photographs capture the migrants’ despair and highlight the questionable circumstances of their imprisonment. The jarring contrast between the migrants’ perceived innocence and their harsh treatment underscores the larger issues of human rights violations and due process within El Salvador’s intensified security measures.
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The Trump administration is exploring the illegal deportation of U.S. citizens to El Salvador, potentially using denaturalization as a pretext. This follows previous actions such as deporting green card holders for pro-Palestinian views and sending migrants to a Salvadoran prison without due process. Legal experts overwhelmingly agree that such actions violate both U.S. and international law, characterizing them as shockingly authoritarian. Despite a Supreme Court order to return a wrongfully deported individual, the administration shows no signs of compliance, further highlighting its disregard for legal procedure.
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The Trump administration, despite a Supreme Court order, continues to resist efforts to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a U.S. citizen wrongly deported to El Salvador. While claiming Abrego Garcia is “alive and secure” in El Salvador, the administration asserts a lack of jurisdiction to intervene, citing Salvadoran sovereignty. President Trump’s statement on Truth Social further suggests the U.S. considers the matter resolved, leaving Abrego Garcia’s fate to El Salvador. This stance follows a motion filed by Abrego Garcia’s attorneys to hold the administration in contempt for non-compliance with the court order.
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A federal judge sharply criticized the Trump administration for its failure to locate and return Kilmar Abrego García, a Maryland resident wrongly deported to El Salvador despite a court order. García, who possessed a valid work permit, was deported during a series of expedited deportations bypassing due process. The government’s inability to provide García’s location, despite a court order demanding his return, prompted the judge to express serious concern over this blatant disregard for judicial authority. The Justice Department cited logistical difficulties due to El Salvador’s involvement, but the judge deemed this explanation insufficient. García’s wife continues to plead for his return.
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President Trump is exploring the legal feasibility of deporting U.S. citizens, primarily those convicted of serious crimes, to El Salvador. This initiative, while lacking clear legal basis, has been publicly discussed by the administration, with the President expressing enthusiasm for the idea. The plan faces significant legal challenges and raises concerns about due process violations. The administration’s previous deportation of immigrants to El Salvador, using the Alien Enemies Act, is already under legal scrutiny.
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Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily stayed a midnight deadline for the Trump administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to a dangerous El Salvadoran prison. The Justice Department argued that Judge Paula Xinis’ order overstepped her authority, claiming the administration lacked the means to retrieve Abrego Garcia from a foreign sovereign’s custody. While the administration admitted the deportation was an error, they contested the court’s injunction, framing it as part of a broader effort to impede the President’s agenda. The case is further complicated by a separate Supreme Court appeal concerning the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to the same prison.
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President Trump has expressed support for sending American citizens to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, despite a judge’s order halting similar deportations of non-citizens under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. This follows an agreement with El Salvador’s President Bukele to deport suspected gang members, with Trump citing cost savings and Bukele’s tough-on-crime stance. A federal judge deemed the government’s previous deportation of a man to El Salvador “wholly lawless,” ordering his return to the U.S. Legal challenges are anticipated if the administration proceeds with deporting American citizens.
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A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a protected Maryland resident mistakenly deported to a dangerous El Salvadoran prison, to the United States. The Department of Justice appealed, arguing a lack of authority to compel El Salvador’s cooperation, but the judge rejected this claim, stating the U.S. cannot outsource its prison system and then claim inability to act. The judge deemed the deportation an illegal act resulting from the administration’s use of an 18th-century law for mass deportations without due process. Garcia’s deportation was described as an “administrative error,” yet the government’s refusal to disclose his current status and the dangers he faces fueled the judge’s decision.
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A federal judge ordered the U.S. government to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States by Monday. ICE admitted to wrongfully deporting Garcia to El Salvador due to an administrative error, despite possessing a lawful order preventing his removal to that country. The government conceded it lacked documentation justifying the deportation, leading the judge to deem the action illegal. Garcia’s family and supporters celebrated the ruling, though the government’s intent to comply remains unclear.
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A federal judge ordered the US government to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States by April 7th after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador due to an administrative error. The judge ruled the deportation illegal, citing a prior grant of withholding of removal and the lack of legal basis for his apprehension and removal. The government admitted the error but initially claimed inability to retrieve Abrego Garcia from Salvadoran custody, a claim the judge questioned given US contractual control over the prison where he is held. Despite a government appeal, the judge’s order highlights the contentious legal battle surrounding recent US deportations to El Salvador.
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John Q. Hosedrinker