Recommendations of the Editorial team
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has from the Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE) received a list. It shows how frighteningly it is for the government to call a Venezuelan immigrant as a “foreign enemy”. Including permission for ICE civil servants, tattoos and clothing to declare them with gear marks.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow of the American Immigration Council, divided on Sunday on X (formerly Twitter) a copy of the “Alien Enemies Act Validation Guide”. The guide describes a points system that the immigration and customs authority can use ICE. Immigrants, which they refer to as members of the Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang, are deported, and in the notorious cruel and inhuman terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) in El Salvador can be sent.
At the beginning of this month, the government flown almost 300 Venezuelans into the Cecot. Because they were supposedly members of the TDA.Although a court decision The government proves not to deport the immigrants. The government has At the Supreme Court Appeal. And argues that the judges are not authorized to stop the deportations.
Allocations and points of points
The ACLU and Democracy Forward have filed a lawsuit against the government for the deportation. They argue that they violate the provisions of the Alien Enemies Act from 1798. And “inadmissibly try to avoid the procedures and protective measures of immigration law”.
According to the checklist, an ICE official must find that the immigrant Venezuelan citizen is that is older than 14 years. The guide then determines a points system that the authority has created with various accusations and points of points.
Any conviction for violating “federal or state laws that are subject to activities in connection with the TDA or impose civil law sanctions” is evaluated with 10 points. To identify themselves against law enforcement agencies “verbally or in writing as a member or supporter of the TDA … Even if this self -indettement is unintentionally to a police officer, e.g. by lawful monitoring of communication” is also evaluated with 10 points. Communication with well-known TDA members is evaluated with six points.
“Belonging to the TDA”
A section entitled “Symbolism” awards four points for “tattoos that indicate membership/loyalty to the TDA”. Or that wearing clothes “which indicates the belonging to the TDA”. Social media articles that “show symbols of the TDA or represent activities with other well-known members of the TDA” receive two points. In the “Association” section, it is worth two points if you can only be seen on “Group photos with two or more well -known members of TDA”. Or live with well -known members of TDA.
Eight points or more are enough to classify immigrants as “validated TDA members”. For example, someone could get six points for an SMS with a “well-known TDA member” and another three points for the transfer of money to a “well-known TDA member”, as Reichlin-Melnick emphasized. This results in a total of nine points. Which is sufficient as a suspected TDA member.
The guide points out that if all points come from the categories symbolism and/or association, the civil servants “their superiors and [das Büro des leitenden Rechtsberaters] Before you decide whether the foreigner is recognized as a member of the TDA ”.
Tattoos and clothing is sufficient
However, if a supervisor allows this, an adult Venezuelan in the United States, who wears tattoos and clothing that contains TDA symbols, according to an ICE official, could be deported according to Cecot alone. This is a scary thought. Especially if you look at the case of Neri Alvarado Borges. A native Venezoleer, which ICE sent to Cecot together with several dozen other Venezuelans, to which the government – without a proper procedure – accused the TDA. Alvarado told you Friend that an ICE agent told him that he had been detained “because of your tattoos”.
“We find and interview everyone who has tattoos,” said the ICE agent, according to Alvarado, to his friend who Mother Jones spoke. Alvarado has a tattoo with a band to sensitize autism as a tribute to his 15-year-old brother, who is autistic.
Although Alvorado said that an ICE agent later declared him “harmless” after searching his phone and hearing Alvorado’s explanation for the importance of his tattoos, they still sent him to Cecot, where he was still. The agent is said to have said: “I will state here that you have nothing to do with Tren de Aragua”.
“With this checklist, ICE can explain any Venezolans to the” foreign enemy “without concrete evidence. Just based on the interpretation of tattoos and hand signals by an ICE official. Or the pech to have a roommate that ICE thinks for a TDA, “wrote Reichlin-Melnick.” That is why a proper procedure is so important! “