At least 50 Venezuelan men who were deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration had actually entered the United States legally, a new report from the Cato Institute reveals—directly challenging the government’s claim that they were all “illegal aliens.”
The report, published Monday by the libertarian think tank, reviewed available immigration records for a portion of the Venezuelans who were sent to the infamous Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot)—a prison known for its harsh conditions and crackdown on suspected gang members. The investigation focused on the cases where public documentation could be found.
Here’s what they discovered: out of 90 men whose method of entry into the U.S. could be verified, 50 had legally crossed the border. They entered through official border checkpoints, with permission from the U.S. government—not by sneaking across.
This finding lines up with a growing trend. A large number of Venezuelan migrants have been arriving legally, many of them seeking refuge or entering under the Biden-era parole program, which gives migrants two-year work permits if they have sponsors inside the U.S. These aren’t people hiding in the shadows. They came in broad daylight—through the front door.
But the numbers are only part of the story.
“The percentage isn’t the shocker here—it’s the raw total,” the report stated. “Dozens of legal immigrants had their status stripped and were thrown into one of the world’s most feared prisons.”
That directly contradicts the Trump administration’s defense that only undocumented immigrants were deported. Cato’s breakdown is clear: 21 men came through ports of entry, 24 were granted parole, four arrived as refugees, and one came on a tourist visa.
Back in March, the Trump administration deported over 200 Venezuelan men to the Cecot mega-prison, justifying the action using the Alien Enemies Act—a law passed way back in 1798, originally intended to be used only during wartime. Critics have called the move extreme, especially considering Cecot’s reputation for severe conditions and widespread human rights abuse.
Lawyers representing some of the deported men have said their clients are being physically and emotionally tortured inside the prison. The U.S. government has yet to release full records for all the deported Venezuelans, but Cato’s report examined 174 cases with at least some public information.
What’s more, the government has labeled many of these men as gang members—but often with weak or no evidence. In many cases, the only so-called “proof” is their tattoos.
But not all tattoos signal gang activity. Some are religious. Some are cultural. Others are just personal.
Take Andry José Hernández Romero, a makeup artist from Venezuela. He has tattoos of crowns on his arms that reference Three Kings Day, a major holiday in his hometown. No gang ties. Just tradition.
This report comes at a time when immigration policy in the U.S. is taking a hard turn. On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans. TPS is a humanitarian protection offered to people from countries in crisis—those facing war, natural disasters, or other emergencies. Removing TPS could put an estimated 350,000 Venezuelans at risk of deportation.
What this all shows is simple and disturbing: people who followed the rules, who were invited in by the U.S. government, are now being treated as criminals and sent to a prison notorious for its abuse and lack of oversight.
The message? Even if you come here legally, it might not be enough.
Description:
"A Cato Institute report reveals that at least 50 Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot prison had legally entered the U.S. through official immigration channels. The investigation challenges claims that only undocumented migrants were targeted, raising concerns about wrongful deportations, misuse of the Alien Enemies Act, and human rights violations."