Wilmer Gutiérrez reflects on his son Merwil's unjust detention by ICE, which led to his transfer to El Salvador's notorious mega-prison despite having no criminal past. Wilmer describes the emotional turmoil of searching for his son amidst bureaucratic hurdles, feeling helpless and abandoned. The detention is part of a larger policy linked to the Trump administration's framing of Venezuelan migrants as threats due to alleged gang affiliations, demonstrating alarming shifts in immigration enforcement tactics and their profound human impact.
I feel like my son was kidnapped. I've spent countless hours searching for him, going from one precinct to another, speaking with numerous people who kept referring me elsewhere.
This was an unprecedented move due to Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which intended to fast-track the removal of alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
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