logo
Family of man sent to El Salvador prison looks for any signs he's still alive: ‘We don't know anything'

Family of man sent to El Salvador prison looks for any signs he's still alive: ‘We don't know anything'

The Guardian08-05-2025

The last time Joregelis Barrios heard from her brother Jerce, the call had lasted just one minute.
Immigration officials had moved Jerce from the detention center in southern California where he had been for six months to another one in Texas. He sounded worried, as if he had been crying. He told his sister he might be transferred somewhere else soon.
No one has heard from him since.
Within hours of that call, Jerce was forced on a plane to El Salvador and booked into the country's most notorious prison: the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (Cecot). He was one of more than 260 men that Donald Trump's administration had accused of terrorism and gang membership. His sister thought she recognized him in the videos shared by the Salvadorian government, among the crowd of deportees with shaved heads and white prison uniforms, being frogmarched to their cells by guards in ski masks. Then CBS News published a leaked list of the deportees' names, confirming her worst worries.
'It was a shock,' said Joregelis. 'Jerce has always avoided trouble.'
Jerce, a 36-year-old professional soccer player and father of two, had come to the US last year to seek asylum, after fleeing political violence and repression in Venezuela.
An immigration hearing to review his case was scheduled for 17 April, just weeks after he was abruptly exiled to El Salvador.
'He was so optimistic, up till the last day we spoke,' said Mariyin Araujo, Jerce's ex-partner and the co-parent of his two daughters, Isabella and six-year-old Carla.
'He believed the laws there in the US were the best, that it would all work out soon,' she said. 'How far did that get him?'
Barrios was flown to Cecot on 15 March. For the past two months, his family has been obsessively scanning news updates and social media posts for any sign that he is still alive and healthy. They have been closely monitoring the court cases challenging Trump's invocation of the wartime powers of the Alien Enemies Act against the Venezuela-based gang known as Tren de Aragua, to exile immigrants – most of whom have no criminal history – to one of the most notorious prisons in the world. And they have been wondering what, if anything, they can do for Jerce.
In Machiques, a small town near Venezuela's border with Colombia, locals have painted a mural in Jerce's honor. His old soccer club, Perijaneros FC, started a campaign demanding his release – and children from the local soccer school held a prayer circle for him. 'We have created TikToks about him, we have organized protests, we held vigils,' said Araujo.
'We have looked for so many ways to be his voice at this moment, when he is unable to speak,' she said.
But as the weeks pass, she said, she is increasingly unsure what more she can do. The Trump administration has doubled down on its right to send immigrants to Cecot, despite a federal judge's order barring it from doing so.
To justify these extraordinary deportations, both Trump and El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, have publicly insisted that the men sent to Cecot are the worst of the worst gang members. To mark Trump's first 100 days in office, his Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a list of 'Noteworthy individuals deported or prevented from entering the US' – and characterized Jerce as 'a member of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang' who 'has tattoos that are consistent with those indicating membership' in the gang.
Jerce's family and lawyer say the only evidence DHS has shared so far is that he has a tattoo on his arm of a soccer ball with a crown on top – a tribute to his favorite soccer team, Real Madrid. His other tattoos include the names of his parents, siblings and daughters.
'My brother is not a criminal,' Joregelis said. 'They took him away without any proof. They took him because he's Venezuelan, because he had tattoos, and because he is Black.'
She's still haunted by the strange sense of finality in his last call. He had asked after his daughters, and whether his Isabella had been eating well. 'I told him she had just had some plátano,' Jorgelis said. 'And then he said to me: 'I love you.' He said to tell our mom to take care.'
Araujo has struggled to explain to her daughters why their father hasn't been calling them regularly. She lives in Mexico City with Carla, her six-year-old. Isabella, three, is in Venezuela with Jorgelis.
Carla, especially, has started asking a lot of questions. 'Recently, she said to me: 'Mom, Dad hasn't called me, Mom. Could it be that he no longer loves me?'' Araujo said. 'So I had to tell her a little bit about what had happened.'
Now Carla cries constantly, Araujo said. She misses her father, she misses his scrambled eggs, she misses watching him play soccer. She keeps asking if he is being treated well in detention, if he is eating well. 'It's too difficult,' Araujo said. 'From a young age, kids learn that if you do something bad, you go to jail. And now she keeps asking how come her dad is in jail, he's not a bad person. And I don't know how to explain. I don't know how to tell her there is no logical explanation.'
Jerce had been in detention of some sort ever since he set foot inside the US.
Last year, he had used the now defunct CBP One app to request an appointment with immigration officials at the border. After more than four months of waiting in Mexico, agents determined that he had a credible case for asylum – but decided to detain him in a maximum-security detention center in San Ysidro, California, while he awaited his hearing.
'Jerce didn't tell us much about what it was like there, because he didn't want us to worry,' said Jorgelis. 'The only thing he did say was, why did he have to be Black? I believe he faced a lot of racism there.'
When he first arrived at the border, immigration officials had alleged he might be a gang member based on his tattoos and on social media posts in which he was making the hand gesture commonly used to signify 'I love you' in sign language, or 'rock and roll'.
His lawyer, Linette Tobin, submitted evidence proving that he had no criminal record in Venezuela, and that his hand gesture was benign. She also obtained a declaration from his tattoo artists affirming that his ink was a tribute to the Spanish soccer team and not to a gang. Officials agreed to move him out of maximum security shortly thereafter, in the fall of last year. 'I thought that was a tacit admission, an acknowledgement that he's not a gang member,' Tobin said.
When officials moved him to a detention center in Texas, Tobin worried that transfer would complicate his asylum proceedings. Since she is based in California, she wasn't sure whether she'd be able to continue to represent him in Texas.
Jerce had been worried when Tobin last spoke to him on the phone, in March, but she had reassured him that he still had a strong case for asylum. Now, the US government has petitioned to dismiss Jerce's asylum case, she said, 'on the basis that – would you believe it – he's not here in the US'.
'I mean, he'd love to be here if he could!' she said.
Other than ensuring that his case remains open, Tobin said she's not sure what more she can do for her client. After the ACLU sued Donald Trump over his unilateral use of the Alien Enemies Act to remove alleged members from the US without legal process, the supreme court ruled that detainees subject to deportation must be given an opportunity to challenge their removals.
But the highest court's ruling leaves uncertain what people like Jerce, who are already stuck in Salvadorian prison, are supposed to do now. As that case moves forward, Tobin hopes the ACLU will be able to successfully challenge all the deportations.
But in a separate case over the expulsion of Kilmar Ábrego García, whom the administration admitted was sent to Cecot in error, the supreme court asked the administration to facilitate Ábrego García's return to the US – and the administration said it couldn't, and wouldn't.
In his last calls with his family, Jerce told them he'd be out of detention soon – that it would all be better soon. Once he was granted asylum, he said, he would try to join a soccer league in the US and start earning some money. He had promised Carla he'd buy her a TV soon.
Now, Araujo said: 'I don't even know if he is alive. We don't know anything. The last thing we saw was a video of them, and after that video many speculations, but nothing is certain.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tom Homan rages on ‘Morning Joe' about ‘very dishonest' NBC reporter taking him ‘out of context'
Tom Homan rages on ‘Morning Joe' about ‘very dishonest' NBC reporter taking him ‘out of context'

The Independent

time33 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Tom Homan rages on ‘Morning Joe' about ‘very dishonest' NBC reporter taking him ‘out of context'

Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan wrapped up a tense Monday morning interview on MSNBC by complaining that a 'very dishonest' NBC reporter had taken his threat to arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom 'out of context,' insisting that he was 'clear' that he didn't feel the governor had 'crossed the line' yet during the fiery Los Angeles protests. With the demonstrations against the Trump administration's immigration raids growing increasingly volatile over the weekend, resulting in the president ordering the National Guard to 'liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion,' Homan told NBC News' Jacob Soboroff that California Democrats could face apprehension if they interfered with ICE agents on the ground. 'I'll say it about anybody,' Homan said when asked if this also meant Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass. 'You cross that line, it's a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It's a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.' At the same time, he said he wasn't specifically accusing any politician of impeding law enforcement and that when it came to Bass, he didn't believe 'she's crossed the line yet.' Still, he called Newsom an 'embarrassment for the state' for providing 'sanctuary for criminals,' suggesting that the governor 'about public safety in the state of California.' Trump would later double down on Homan's rhetoric, telling reporters on Sunday that any 'officials who stand in the way of law and order' will 'face judges.' In a separate interview with the same NBC reporter, Newsom fired back at Homan while taking issue with the Trump administration in general for further escalating tensions in the region by deploying the military to face off against the protesters. Calling Homan's bluff, Newsom told the Trump official to 'just get it over with' and arrest him. 'He's a tough guy. Why doesn't he do that? He knows where to find me,' he added. 'That kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let's go.' Despite Trump blasting him to reporters and online, Newsom said that during a recent phone conversation about the large-scale protests, the president barely even brought the issue up and didn't express any concerns about Newsom's ability to handle the demonstrations. 'We had a very decent conversation,' the governor added. Towards the end of his Monday interview on Morning Joe, which largely entailed him defending the administration's response to the protests and the deportation policies that sparked them, Homan was asked to respond to Newsom's taunts. Instead of defending his remarks, the border czar blasted Soboroff and fumed that he never threatened to arrest the governor or Bass. 'I'm not biting on that,' he grumbled to anchor Jonathan Lemire. 'The NBC reporter that interviewed me is very dishonest. We did a 20-minute interview, and he cuts out a little clip and takes my words out of context.' Homan went on to state that what he 'really said' was that when protesters 'crossed the line' then they could find themselves apprehended by law enforcement. 'They have a right to protest,' he continued. 'They have the First Amendment rights, but they can't cross that line. They can't cross that line. They can't cross that line of putting their hands on officers. They can't cross the line.'Adding that 'concealing an illegal alien' is also a federal crime, he asserted that anyone guilty of that statute 'will be prosecuted.' At the same time, though, he insisted that he was only saying that it could include Bass and Newsom if they were involved in those activities. 'I was clear they haven't crossed the line. But they're not above the law either,' he declared. 'If they commit a crime, they certainly will ask for prosecution. That's what was happening.' Homan concluded: 'I never threatened to arrest Gov. Newsom, so I'm not biting off in that. It's just that reporter's dishonest and let them play the whole 20-minute interview, and you'll see a whole different discussion that we had.'Lemire, for his part, ended the discussion by noting that 'NBC News stands by the reporting.' This wasn't the first time Homan raged about Soboroff on Monday morning. During an earlier sitdown on Fox News, a network he spent the past few years working for as an on-air contributor, Trump's hand-picked deportation enforcer attacked the NBC News reporter as a 'joke' for his 'ridiculous' interview. 'Well, first of all, it's just ridiculous,' he told Fox & Friends. 'That reporter from MSNBC? He's a joke. He's a dishonest reporter.'

Watch ‘Antifa' LA rioters make rocks to pelt ICE amid ‘Death to America' taunts…but hero legal migrants HELP hurt cop
Watch ‘Antifa' LA rioters make rocks to pelt ICE amid ‘Death to America' taunts…but hero legal migrants HELP hurt cop

The Sun

time35 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Watch ‘Antifa' LA rioters make rocks to pelt ICE amid ‘Death to America' taunts…but hero legal migrants HELP hurt cop

SHOCKING footage from warzone LA shows alleged Antifa rioters "harvesting" rocks from pavements to hurl at officers - while another video shows heroic "legal migrants" tend to a wounded cop. Graffiti calling for "Death to America" appeared during the carnage - which this morning enters its fourth day. 11 11 11 The streets of downtown LA have descended into chaos as National Guardsmen and ICE officers clash with fanatical pro-immigration rioters. Shocking photos and videos from the city have surfaced showing terrifying scenes and violent troublemakers exploiting the lawlessness. One alarming clip posted online shows a group of bloodlusted protesters chipping away rocks from the mud, seemingly ready to hurl at police. As the cameraman films with his phone, one of the gang rushes over and tells him to "put it away". Right-wing "citizen journalist" Aldo Buttazzoni, who posted the clip, identified the group as members of "Antifa" - the controversial far-left group associated with explosive clashes with cops. Footage shows fierce battles between the two sides - with a barrage of missile raining down on cops who respond with rubber bullets and tear gas. Officers are pelted with rocks and traffic cones from all sides as they desperately shield themselves. Another clip filmed inside a national guard van reveals the level of hostility they face on the streets. As the van drives along, there is the near-constant thud of missiles launched by protesters smashing into it. Pictures also show threatening messages scrawled on the walls in paint as rioters lay claim to the neighbourhood. National Guard troops clash with protesters against immigration raids in LA Some demanded "Death to Amerikka [sic]", while other walls bore the message "F**k ICE". Amid the turmoil, however, a group of alleged "legal migrant workers" was seen tending to a wounded officer who appeared to have been suffering from the effects of tear-gas. At the Salvadoran restaurant, La Ceiba, workers treated at least one wounded deputy, according to reports. 11 11 Footage shows the staff washing out an officers' eyes with what appears to be milk and dabbing them with paper towels before they mask-up and head back out. Protests first erupted on Friday after it emerged ICE officers were carrying out raids in Latino-dominated areas of LA. The action targeted undocumented migrants as part of Trump's pledge to crackdown on illegal immigration. The authorities reported that 44 unauthorised immigrants were arrested in one swoop at a job site on Friday. Trump deployed 2,000 national guards to the city to quell days of violent protests - and the clashes only intensified. On Sunday, protesters looted shops, attacked police and vandalised cars before setting them ablaze in the middle of the street. A particularly horrifying scene saw a group of police trapped under a highway bridge by rioters who launched fireworks and, heavy rocks and cement at stranded patrol cars. In response to the escalating chaos agents used tear gas, flash-bang explosives, pepper balls and rubber bullets to push back demonstrators. 11 11 Dozens of shops have been left with smashed up windows after thieves used the riots to raid local businesses, and the LA Police Department is urging all affected business owners to report damage. Trump has heaped praise on the "great job" done by the National Guard - and taken aim at the California governor Gavin Newsom, who he dubbed "Newscum". Newsom opposed the decision to bring in the National Guard, which he branded "unlawful", sparking a public spat with the President. Trump ordered the bolstered force to storm LA early on Sunday morning to try to restore order. Protesters directed chants of "shame" and "go home" at members of the Guard, who stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields. 11 11 Now, 500 US Marines are waiting in a "prepared to deploy" status at a base just 230km east of Los Angeles as the city braces for of the same. On Sunday night, Trump blared: "BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!" and "ARREST THE PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS, NOW!" on Truth Social, indicating he has not intention of backing down. Trump's "border tsar" Tom Homan has warned that someone could "lose their life" if the violence continues. Both official and citizen journalists are documenting the street scenes.

Mexican president rebukes violence in Los Angeles protests
Mexican president rebukes violence in Los Angeles protests

Reuters

time43 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Mexican president rebukes violence in Los Angeles protests

MEXICO CITY, June 9 (Reuters) - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that she did not agree with violent acts committed during the massive protests which have broken out in Los Angeles against immigration raids. The leader, speaking from her morning press conference, also called on U.S. authorities to respect the rule of law in migration processes. "It must be clear: We condemn violence wherever it comes from," Sheinbaum said. Protests spread on the streets of Los Angeles over the weekend over President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement as groups of protesters, many carrying Mexican flags and signs denouncing U.S. immigration authorities, gathered in spots around the city. At least 42 Mexicans are being held in four detention centers after recent immigration raids in Los Angeles and four were deported, Mexico's Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente said during Monday's press conference. "We will continue our visits to monitor the Mexicans in detention centers in Los Angeles," De la Fuente said. He added that the vast majority of Mexicans detained were working when they were arrested.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store