How the Trump administration is using tattoos to lock up immigrants in El Salvador
Source: The Independent
How the Trump administration is using tattoos to lock up immigrants in El Salvador
Venezuelan men in streetwear with Michael Jordan and autism awareness tattoos could add up enough ‘points’ for their removal from the United States, Alex Woodward reports
Monday 31 March 2025 20:24 BST
The results of a scorecard appear to be enough to determine whether Venezuelan immigrants can be sent to a notorious El Salvador prison and remain there indefinitely.
Under Donald Trump’s order invoking the Alien Enemies Act for the fourth time in U.S. history, Venezuelans over age 14 who are determined to be “members” of the Tren de Aragua gang can be summarily deported as “alien enemies.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement relies on an “Alien Enemies Act Validation Guide” to decide whether those Venezuelans are members of a gang the administration has labelled a terrorist organization, according to a guide shared by attorneys for the ACLU.
All it takes is a score of eight, according to the guide.
Tattoos alone are four points. “Dress” associated with Tren de Aragua — including “high-end streetwear” and clothing with Michael Jordan logos — is another four points.
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But court documents and affidavits from attorneys for dozens of people who were deported to El Salvador suggest that ICE has repeatedly targeted Venezuelan immigrants for their tattoos, regardless of their meaning, as evidence of their alleged affiliation with Tren de Aragua.
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Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-tattoos-migrants-el-salvador-b2724820.html
Alternate link: https://news.yahoo.com/news/trump-administration-using-tattoos-lock-192431245.html