Migrants deported from US to Salvadoran prison remain under US control, Salvadoran officials tell UN
The revelation was contained in court filings Monday by lawyers for more than 100 migrants who are seeking to challenge their deportations to El Salvador's mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT.
The case is among several challenging President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
'In this context, the jurisdiction and legal responsibility for these persons lie exclusively with the competent foreign authorities,' Salvadoran officials wrote in response to queries from the unit of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The U.N. group has been looking into the fate of the men who were sent to El Salvador from the United States in mid-March, even after a U.S. judge had ordered the planes that were carrying them to be turned around.
The Trump administration has argued that it is powerless to return the men, noting that they are beyond the reach of U.S. courts and no longer have access to due process rights or other U.S. constitutional guarantees.
But lawyers for the migrants said the U.N. report shows otherwise.
'El Salvador has confirmed what we and everyone else understood: it is the United States that controls what happens to the Venezuelans languishing at CECOT. Remarkably the U.S. government didn't provide this information to us or the court,' American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Lee Gelerent said in an email.
Skye Perryman, CEO and president of Democracy Forward, said the documents show 'that the administration has not been honest with the court or the American people.' The ACLU and Democracy Forward are both representing the migrants.
Administration officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The administration in March agreed to pay $6 million for El Salvador to house 300 migrants. The deal sparked immediate controversy when Trump invoked an 18th century wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to quickly remove men it has accused of being members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
In a related case, the administration mistakenly sent Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the same prison, despite a judge's order prohibiting the Maryland man from being sent to El Salvador.
The administration initially resisted court orders to bring him back to the U.S., saying he was no longer in American custody. Eventually, Abrego Garcia was returned to the U.S., where he now faces criminal charges of human smuggling while legal battles continue.
Last month, a coalition of immigrant rights groups sued to invalidate the prison deal with El Salvador, arguing that the arrangement to move migrant detainees outside the reach of U.S. courts violates the Constitution.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
32 minutes ago
- Fox News
From Washington: Texas Floods Test President Trump's Disaster Response
President Trump traveled to Kerrville, Texas, to meet with families and local officials impacted by the devastating July 4th flash floods. Former White House Press Secretary and FOX News Contributor Ari Fleischer discusses the importance of how Presidents respond to natural disasters and how federal agencies handle emergencies. Later, he reacts to the President's latest tariff policies, the NYC mayoral race, and the one-year anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Trump in Butler, PA. Later, Congressman Buddy Carter (R-GA) discusses how his family was impacted by the Texas floods. He emphasizes the need for unity while cautioning against finger-pointing in the wake of tragedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Senate Republicans block attempt to roll back massive tax hike on professional gamblers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked an attempt to reverse a little-noticed provision from their tax and spending cuts law that professional gamblers warn could be the end of their industry. Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada sought unanimous passage of a bill that would roll back the change on gambling tax deductions, but Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana objected, stalling the proposal for now. The emerging fight over the gambling provision is likely only the beginning of the fallout from the new tax law and its impact on the country. Spanning more than 900 pages, the bill signed into law by President Donald Trump last week contained a slew of provisions changing federal programs and the tax code, many of which lawmakers admit they are only now beginning to fully digest. 'My understanding is many Republicans, many Democrats did not even know it was part of that process,' Cortez Masto said of the gambling provision. Under the new tax law, starting in 2026, individuals can only deduct 90% of their gambling losses up to the amount of their winnings. That's a change from the previous rule, which allowed gamblers to deduct 100% of their losses, up to the amount they won. The change will only significantly impact those who gamble larger amounts and who take the extra steps to itemize and deduct their losses. But for those individuals, the impact could be steep. In practice, for example, under the old rule, someone who wins $100,000 and loses $100,000 could deduct the full $100,000 in losses and owe nothing. Under the new rule, they would only be able to deduct $90,000 and would still owe taxes on the remaining $10,000, despite having lost all their winnings. 'This new amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would end professional gambling in the U.S. and hurt casual gamblers, too,' Phil Galfond, a professional poker player, said on social media just days ahead of the bill's final passage. The provision was included in the bill's text released on June 16 by Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo. Some senators have said they weren't aware of the provision, and it only publicly came to light days ahead of the bill's passage, with professional gamblers and media figures drawing attention to it. 'Now I see Republican senators walking all over the Capitol saying they didn't even know anything about this policy," said Sen. Ron Wyden, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee. 'The fact is, when you rush a process like this, this way, and cram in all of these policies that you haven't really thought about, you risk consequences for people back home. That is what is going on here,' Wyden. said The provision is estimated to generate over $1.1 billion in tax revenue over eight years. The entirety of the tax break and spending cuts bill will increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Republicans say it was a necessary procedural change tied to the reconciliation process, which allowed them to pass the sweeping bill without Democratic support. Young, the Indiana Republican who objected to Cortez Masto's bill, said he supports the policy but would only agree to undo it if Democrats accepted other provisions in return. 'I strongly support the underlying bill, but will have to object unless you can agree to my request,' Young said on the Senate floor. Thursday's attempt by Cortez Masto won't be the last. On Wednesday, she introduced a bill that will first have to go through committee, but has bipartisan support, to restore the full gambling deduction. In the House, Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus has also introduced a bill attempting to return to the previous standard. ___
New York Times
37 minutes ago
- New York Times
They Fled War in Ethiopia. Then American Bombs Found Them.
The men awoke in the middle of the night to the roar of warplanes. Fear was nothing new to Fanta Ali Ahmed, who was trapped with more than 100 migrants in a rickety prison. After civil war reached his home region of Tigray in Ethiopia in 2020, he had fled along one of the world's most dangerous smuggling routes. He had hoped to reach Saudi Arabia, across the Red Sea. Instead, as he passed through Yemeni territory ruled by the Houthi militia, he was arrested and sent to a migrant detention center in northern Yemen. For weeks in March and April of this year, he heard American airstrikes nearby, targeting Yemen in a campaign against the Houthis, who are backed by Iran. But this was the closest the planes had ever come. In 2024, the U.N. recorded more than 60,000 migrants arriving in Yemen from the Horn of Africa. Saudi Arabia Red Sea Location of attack in Saada eritrea Yemen houthi- controlled territory eritrea Sana Tigray Gulf of Aden Djibouti Bosaso Addis Ababa somalia Common migration routes Ethiopia Ethiopia Saudi Arabia Red Sea Location of attack in Saada Sudan eritrea Yemen houthi- controlled territory eritrea Sana Tigray Gulf of Aden Djibouti Bosaso Addis Ababa somalia Common migration routes Ethiopia Ethiopia Sources: Migration route information from the International Organization for Migration. Houthi boundaries from the Institute for the Study of War and AEI's Critical Threats Project. By Daniel Wood When multiple 250-pound bombs hit the prison on April 28, tearing through the roof, Mr. Fanta fell to the ground, he recalled. At first, he thought he was the only one hurt. He later realized that he was one of the luckier ones. Ten people close to him were killed, while others were left with limbs hanging by shredded skin, he said. 'The place and everyone in it were mangled,' said Mr. Fanta, 32, who survived with two broken legs and a broken arm. 'I don't know why America bombed us.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
