As President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its crackdown on immigration, officials have frequently accused detainees of being gang leaders or even terrorists. However, these claims often remain unsupported in court, raising concerns about the integrity of the legal process.
On March 27, Attorney General Pam Bondi, standing with FBI Director Kash Patel, held a press conference after a raid by an FBI SWAT team on a 24-year-old Salvadoran man living illegally in Virginia. Bondi described the man as one of the top leaders of the violent MS-13 gang in the U.S. and labeled him a terrorist. Despite this, just days later, the Justice Department dropped the only charge against him: illegal possession of a firearm by an alien. Bondi later stated that the man would face deportation instead.
This was not the only instance. Earlier, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a Salvadoran man in Maryland, handcuffing him while his 5-year-old son, who is autistic and non-verbal, remained in the car. According to the man’s wife, ICE called her and gave her just 10 minutes to pick up their son before contacting child protective services.
Despite initially claiming that the man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was involved in human trafficking, the White House offered no such evidence in the court records surrounding his deportation. After being erroneously deported to El Salvador alongside 238 Venezuelan men suspected of being part of the Tren de Aragua gang, Abrego Garcia’s case raised further questions. A U.S. immigration official admitted in court filings that many of those deported had no criminal records but maintained that they were still dangerous.
When questioned about the lack of evidence backing these accusations, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserted her confidence in the U.S. government’s assessment, insisting the detainees should remain in prison “for the rest of their lives.”
Legal experts noted that public allegations of serious crimes like gang leadership, terrorism, or human trafficking typically require evidence to avoid jeopardizing criminal cases. Such accusations, without court proceedings to substantiate them, undermine the fairness of the legal system.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis commented during an April 4 court hearing regarding Abrego Garcia’s case that criminal accusations should be formally presented in an indictment or criminal proceeding with proper legal process. The U.S. Supreme Court largely upheld this ruling.
In response to Reuters, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed that the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador without U.S. criminal records were “actually terrorists, human rights abusers, gangsters, and more,” though no evidence was provided to back these claims.
A separate official from the Trump administration defended the removals, saying that the administration was putting “the American people first by removing illegal aliens who pose a threat to our communities,” but refused to disclose further details on intelligence matters. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.
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