Two families celebrated the release of loved ones wrongly accused of violent gang membership after a swap involving detainees between the U.S. and Venezuela. Daniela Palma expressed joy at her boyfriend's release, calling their detention unjust. Many Venezuelans held in El Salvador's megaprison had pending asylum claims, yet families reported they were barred from court proceedings before deportation. Palma, granted refugee status with her partner in Colombia in 2023, experienced severe hardship while fleeing the Maduro regime and sought safety in the U.S.
Tears streamed down Daniela Palma's face as she learned that her boyfriend—who had been granted refugee status by the U.S. government in Colombia alongside her in 2023—was finally free after months of what she calls 'unjust detention.' Her emotions reflected the relief felt by families after long separations and wrongful detention of their loved ones.
Many of the Venezuelans sent to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center had pending asylum cases, but their relatives and attorneys reported that they were never given the chance to present their claims in court before deportation.
"I knew that only God could work this miracle, and He did," Palma expressed, highlighting the feelings of hope and faith that sustained families through the ordeal of their loved ones' detentions.
Palma, 30, and her partner, 29, arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Jan. 8 after spending two years in Bogotá. They had fled the Maduro regime and were granted refugee status by U.S. officials in Colombia, indicating a desperate search for safety.
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