Cato Report on 50 Venezuelans Who Legally Entered U.S. Were Sent to El Salvador Jail

At least 50 Venezuelan men sent to the El Salvador CECOT prison had entered the U.S. legally, according to a May 19 Cato Institute report. According to the Trump administration, the 50 men were “illegal aliens,” but the report indicates “that they came legally to the United States, with advanced U.S. government permission, at an official border crossing point.” Many were accepted as refugees, and others were given a two-year work permit, if they had a U.S.-based sponsor. The report states, “Dozens of legal immigrants were stripped of their status and imprisoned in El Salvador.” The Trump administration has claimed that it has targeted Venezuelan men for alleged ties to gang activities; however, no documentation has been released about individuals in more than 200 cases. The claims of ties to gangs are mostly based on the fact that the men have tattoos. Many family members have explained, however, that the tattoos are not gang-related, and only have cultural or personal meanings.