El Salvador has acknowledged to the United States that the Trump administration still controls the Venezuelan migrants deported earlier this year to the country’s controversial Terrorism Confinement Center, contradicting earlier public statements by both governments.
Despite deportation, Salvadoran officials told the UN that the U.S. retains control over Venezuelan migrants held in El Salvador’s mega-prison.
The admission surfaced in court filing Monday from ACLU and Democracy Forward, who represent over 100 migrants challenging their removal from the United States. Salvadoran officials told a UN human right unit that the U.S. retains legal jurisdiction over the men, even tough they were deported in Match despite a U.S. judge ordering the flights turned around.
The U.S. government had previously claimed the men were no longer under its custody and beyond constitutional protections. However, the new filing suggests otherwise.
“This confirms what everyone knew, the U.S. remains in charge of these men,” said ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt, calling the lack of disclosure to the court “remarkable.”
The Biden administration has not commented. In March, the U.S. agreed to pay $6 million to house 300 migrants in El Salvador, invoking the Alien Enemies Act to expedite removals of alleged Tren De Aragua gang members.
One deportee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was mistakenly sent to CECOT despite a court ban. He was later returned and now faces human smuggling charges in the U.S.
Legal challenges are mounting, with advocacy groups suing to void the El Salvador deal, arguing it violates migrant’ constitutional due process rights.
