On Monday, a law firm plans to file a habeas corpus lawsuit with El Salvador’s Supreme Court on behalf of 30 Venezuelan nationals who are currently imprisoned in the country’s so-called “mega-prison” after being deported from the United States.
This legal action aims to challenge the validity of their detention, following the U.S. government’s deportation of approximately 238 Venezuelans, whom they allege are affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang.
The judges overseeing this case are known to be supporters of President Nayib Bukele, who has proposed housing U.S. inmates in El Salvador’s prison system and has accepted financial compensation from the U.S. for this arrangement.
Outside the courthouse, attorney Jaime Ortega informed the media that while they have been authorized to represent the 30 Venezuelan individuals, they intend to seek habeas corpus for all other Venezuelans currently detained in the nation.
Of the group, around 137 were deported under a little-known U.S. wartime statute aimed at “alien enemies,” which was swiftly halted by a U.S. judge who ordered the aircraft carrying the Venezuelans to return.
Nevertheless, upon arrival in El Salvador, these individuals were taken into custody in a large anti-terrorism facility, as part of an agreement in which the U.S. is providing $6 million to the Salvadoran government, according to the White House.
Family members and legal representatives of many detainees assert that they are not affiliated with Tren de Aragua. U.S. Judge James Boasberg ruled on Monday that they should be allowed to contest the government’s allegations of gang membership.
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The judge also referenced reports of dire prison conditions, including instances of physical abuse, humiliation, inconsistent access to food and water, and the necessity for inmates to sleep standing due to overcrowding.
El Salvador’s presidential office has not responded to Reuters’ inquiries regarding the conditions within the prison.
