Latest news with #makeupartist
News.com.au
a day ago
- General
- News.com.au
24-year-old drives for five days to new home only to be left ‘homeless' and scrambling
Monique Muskens drove across Australia for five days only to become 'homeless' because she couldn't move into the room she'd been promised. Ms Muskens, 24, accepted a three-month job in Perth working on a television program in the make-up department. She immediately knew she would have trouble finding a suitable short-term rental, so she went online to find a match. She found an advertisement onnline for a room for rent in Perth from a man who claimed the house was filled with 'adventure people' who are 'normal straight blokes', with the property close to all amenities. The 24-year-old and her potential housemate began messaging and negotiating logistics, such as when she could move in. Eventually, he told her, '100 per cent it'll be fine to stay here when you get here', and she was delighted. 'We had agreed on the rental rate, move-in date, and my room. He even asked me where the coffee machine should go,' she told The makeup artist claimed that she and her new housemate had texted frequently in the weeks leading up to her move-in date. 'He was texting me life updates, sending me photos, calling me, we were face-timing,' she said. 'I thought I was going to be best friends with my future flatmate.' Ms Muskens left her hometown of Sydney and embarked on a five-day drive across the country to move into her new place in Perth. 'I was five hours into the drive when I got a text that was so rogue. It was like, 'Hey, your room won't be ready until Monday',' she said. She says she immediately tried to call him, but he didn't answer. She recalled thinking it was weird, but she figured if her room wasn't ready, she could sleep on the couch until it was. When she arrived in Perth on Saturday May 31, she went to the address and asked what was going on. The 24-year-old alleges the occupant told her a bizarre story about an issue with her mattress that he had originally agreed to supply, which she said made zero sense. 'He was just like 'nah mate' and it was like 5pm on a Saturday. I was like, 'what? Where am I meant to sleep?'' she said. Ms Muskens said the long Western Australian long weekend compounded the issue, as it made it difficult to find last-minute accommodation. The makeup artist couldn't find anywhere she could stay two nights in a row, so she had to stay in two separate hotels over the weekend. On Sunday, she messaged the man and joked, 'Will I be homeless tomorrow?' and, to her shock, he replied and said she could no longer move in. 'I was just about to message you. My wife had a meltdown over me bringing a woman into the house,' the text read. 'Definitely check on a few different platforms it is f**ked because I've held the room for ages and now she's pulled this.' Ms Muskens said she was devastated. She initially thought he was joking, but he wasn't, and now she was in a brand new state with no housing. 'All my paper for this job has that address on it. I was shocked and in disbelief at first, and then I was so angry my body was shaking,' she said. 'My emotions were so high.' Ms Muskens then returned to the house to confront him because, at this point, she just wanted answers. She claims the man came to the door and confirmed that she wouldn't be living with him. She argued that she was meant to move in 'two days ago' and she was confused why the plans had changed so drastically to which she claims he responded, 'My marriage comes first mate.' The door was then shut in Ms Muskens face, she alleges, and, even now, several days later, she is couch surfing and has yet to find accommodation.
Vogue
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
What Does Primer Do? And Do You Really Need It
Foundation, concealer, blush—I have a pretty good understanding of the benefits of nearly every product in my makeup routine, yet I've always wondered: What does primer do? Most of us have been told that applying face primer is an essential step when putting on makeup, as it's supposed to 'prep the skin' before you apply foundation and provide you with a flawless finish. While that's true, primers can do all that (and then some), as evidenced by the fact that there are several different kinds of them. There are primers that color correct, primers that reduce shine, and even formulas for your eyes and lips. If you've frequently found yourself a little confused about what your primer is actually supposed to be doing, read ahead for a full breakdown. What is makeup primer? A makeup primer is typically the first step in your makeup routine, i.e., after cleansing and moisturizing but before applying foundation and concealer. 'In general, a primer is used to prep the skin for makeup application,' says makeup artist Tyron Machhausen. 'It can serve a variety of purposes like controlling shine, evening out skin texture, minimizing the appearance of pores, boosting glow, or color correction.' You can apply a primer before pretty much any step in your makeup routine, as there are primers that exist for your lashes, eyes, and even your lips. Types of makeup primer A primer isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of product, so what kind you use depends on your skin type, the look you're going for, and what benefits you're hoping to get from it. Hydrating primers These are moisturizing formulas that work best on dry or aging skin, says Machhausen. Hydrating primers and primers for mature skin are likely to feature moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane, and natural oils, so if dryness is something you struggle with, pick up one of these. Mattifying primers On the flip side, a mattifying primer is best for people with oilier skin who are looking to reduce shine and oil production on areas like the forehead, nose, and chin. Whereas hydrating primers are made with hydrating ingredients, primers for oily skin will often include ingredients like oil-absorbing powders and exfoliants. Illuminating primers 'If you're going for a radiant look, illuminating primers with light-reflecting or iridescent ingredients can give the skin a fresh, glowing finish before you even reach for foundation,' Machhausen says. Whether you plan on wearing makeup or not, these come in handy if you want to give your skin a little extra glow after moisturizing. Color-correcting primers If uneven skin tone is something you'd like to address, consider a color-correcting primer. 'These are cosmetic-focused primers that help with tone and texture,' Machhausen says. 'They can neutralize redness or brighten dull, sallow skin.' Imagine the color wheel: Whatever color you're trying to neutralize, you should use the color on the opposite side to balance it out. If you're trying to counteract redness, reach for a green primer, but if dark spots or age spots are your main concern, a peach-colored primer should do the trick. Is wearing a primer necessary? Not exactly. According to Machhausen, whether or not you actually need a primer all depends on your skin and how it behaves under makeup. 'If you have oily skin or need your makeup to last all day, a primer can make a noticeable difference,' he says. Wearing a primer can also be helpful when applying foundation and complexion makeup, because it can provide a smoother base for your makeup to sit on. 'It doesn't completely cover everything, but it creates a refined base that helps me see exactly where I actually need to apply foundation, rather than applying it all over out of habit,' Machhausen adds. 'It's a simple step that helps me use less product overall, while still achieving a polished, long-wearing look.' Can you wear a primer without makeup? Again, primers can be used for a variety of reasons. You can use a pore minimizing primer to reduce the appearance of pores, but you can also use primers for oil control, hydration, or evening out the skin tone—so yes, you can absolutely wear a primer without wearing makeup. 'Depending on the formula, a primer can smooth out your skin, blur imperfections, control shine, or give you a nice glow,' Machhausen says. How to apply primer Depending on how you look at it, applying primer should either be the last step in your skin-care routine or the first step in your makeup routine. Either way, you always want to apply it before foundation if you're hoping to control oil or get your makeup to last for a longer period of time.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bride-to-Be Shocked at How Much It Will Cost to Hire a Makeup Artist for Destination Wedding
A friend of a bride-to-be took to TikTok to share her friend's shock and disappointment in the price it cost to have a traveling makeup artist for her wedding The friend revealed that a makeup artist provided a quote over $125,000 for the service The friend expressed doubt that she might ever get married due to weddings being "outrageously expensive"One 2025 bride-to-be is putting her foot down when it comes to certain costs for her wedding. A friend of the bride-to-be shared how disappointed and shocked the bride was to learn it would cost over $125,000 to have a well-known makeup artist travel for her upcoming wedding. "I feel so bad for the girls and the fiancées who are 2025, 2026 brides. I'm feeling bad for the whole family at this point, because in today's day and time, every aspect of a wedding is so outrageously expensive," TikTok user Emily Landon said in a May 1 post to the platform. She added, "My friend reached out to a well-known makeup artist to see what the pricing will be."The TikToker then brought up a screenshot of the email that her friend received from the unnamed makeup artist with the breakdown of the fees in order to travel to the wedding, which appears to be in Sicily. The breakdown included a fee to reserve the dates of travel for the wedding, a separate fee for the wedding day makeup, reserved business class flights for the makeup artist and the assistant and more. While Landon noted that makeup artists are entitled to require fees and accommodations for their time, she said, "these makeup artists and other vendors and venues are charging not even a down payment for a house, you could buy the whole f------ house." "[The makeup artist's] typical rate starting out is $25,000 each travel day. Glam for the wedding day [is] $50,000," she explained. "We're spending $125,000 and we haven't even gotten to travel accommodations." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The TikToker continued, "The hotel has to be pre-approved. You have to pay for the transportation for their makeup artist and their assistant. I get it, but $100,000-plus? I will not be getting married." Users in the comments agreed with Landon and were unable to understand why wedding day makeup would ever cost that amount of money. "I come from a wealthy community where some people pay a million dollars for a wedding and I've literally never heard of makeup costing more than $1,500????" one user shared, while another user added, "That price is actually them saying no without having to fight or be guilt tripped by brides who don't hear no very often." A third TikTok user pointed out that "this person probably works with very specific clientele and/or gave these rates to scare off your friend. The average person doesn't have to worry about paying anything close to this for makeup." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! In a follow-up video, Landon confirmed that the well-known makeup artist has done makeup for celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter, but did not reveal who the makeup artist was. "If it's a celeb then duh it's gonna cost a lot. It's like asking Beyonce to perform at your wedding for $3,000," a user remarked on the follow-up video. Read the original article on People
CNN
7 days ago
- General
- CNN
He left Venezuela as an asylum seeker, dreaming of a career in cosmetics in the US. He was deported to a Salvadoran prison
A year ago, Andry José Hernández Romero left Venezuela to seek a better future in the United States. He wanted to continue growing his career as a makeup artist. He left behind his lifelong home in the little town of Capacho Nuevo, where he lived with his mother, father, and younger brother. On May 23, 2024 – just two days after his 31st birthday – Andry left with the hope of one day opening a beauty salon in the US, or making a living from one of his other passions: design and tailoring. But all that hope has turned to anguish. The Venezuelan makeup artist made it to the US, but his journey became 'tragic,' his mother, Alexis Romero, told CNN. Andry is one of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants who were deported by the US government to El Salvador in March. His loved ones have had no news of him; they are completely out of touch. As of now, there is no certainty about what will happen to him or the rest of the detainees in the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) prison. 'Please bring him back, it's been two months of anguish. We can't take it anymore. Please, put your hand on your heart and send him back. This anguish is eating us alive … I hope these people say, 'Yes, he's coming back.' That they say something, anything, just a little thing,' pleads Alexis, 65. Andry Hernández Romero turned 32 this Wednesday. He is from Capacho Nuevo, a town in the Venezuelan border state of Táchira that, according to official estimates, has fewer than 30,000 inhabitants. He is passionate about design, makeup, costume making, and acting. These artistic skills have made him well known in his hometown, where he has been an essential part of a local festival. Since he was 7, Hernández has participated as an actor in the 'Reyes Magos de Capacho' festival, which a few months ago celebrated its 108th anniversary and is a keystone cultural event in both Táchira and all of Venezuela. 'We're from a small town, but we all know each other,' Reina Cárdenas, 36, and a childhood friend of Hernández, told CNN. 'We became very good friends since we were little kids. He loved to do my makeup, loved to get me ready for the show. We shared many things, many interests. Besides the Reyes Magos festival, we'd go out to eat, we were confidants, we have a very nice friendship.' In his teens and adult life, Hernández continued acting in the festival and also started making costumes and doing makeup for cast members. He studied Industrial Engineering up to the fifth semester at the Santiago Mariño Polytechnic in San Cristóbal, a private university in Táchira. Tuition increased every month, so 'the work bug bit him' and he decided to drop out to focus on his career, his mother says. Up until then, he had spent his whole life in Capacho, except for some trips to Bogotá, Colombia, and Caracas for work. And then came his trip to the US to seek asylum and grow professionally, a trip from which he has not yet returned. Hernández has been far from home and out of contact for months in El Salvador's Cecot after being deported by the US government for alleged links to the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, accusations his loved ones deny. Andry Hernández Romero arrived in the US on August 29, 2024, specifically at the San Ysidro border crossing with Mexico, after leaving Venezuela a year earlier, according to Alexis Romero and Reina Cárdenas. 'He showed up for his CBP One appointment on August 29 and from that moment he was detained in a migration center' in the US, says Cárdenas. The CBP One app, which was crucial for hundreds of thousands of immigrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry, was canceled last January by the Trump administration, which also canceled already scheduled appointments. Reina says that, from the moment he arrived – still during the Biden administration – Andry was linked to the Tren de Aragua because of his tattoos: a crown on each wrist and a snake on his forearm. His is not the only case in which US authorities have associated these tattoos with the Venezuelan criminal gang. When that happened, 'we started sending all the evidence they asked for' to prove otherwise and so Andry could continue his asylum application, adds his childhood friend. 'They had nothing against him, no evidence,' says Reina Cárdenas. 'We submitted everything they requested at the time for the investigation they were conducting, because from the moment he entered the country they linked him to the Tren de Aragua and it was only because of the tattoos. They had no other reason, never submitted any evidence, just the tattoos.' Despite the circumstances, Cárdenas says Andry's case was progressing favorably, according to their conversations with him while he was detained and with his legal defense. 'His asylum process, up to the last we saw, was favorable,' Reina says. 'He passed the credible fear test. Everything was going very well. There were times when he wanted to be deported because of the time he'd spent locked up, and the lawyers and the judge handling his asylum told him his case was going well and to be patient, that he'd be admitted at any moment.' While Hernández's immigration case was ongoing, Trump's second term began, along with a massive government campaign against illegal immigration. Last March, after more than half a year detained since arriving at San Ysidro, the young man was deported to El Salvador. Andry Hernández is one of hundreds of migrants who in mid-March were deported to Cecot – the mega-prison built by El Salvador to incarcerate 'the worst of the worst,' according to the country's president, Nayib Bukele – under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime policy invoked by the Trump administration to expel alleged members of the Tren de Aragua. The US government moved quickly to send hundreds of migrants, including Venezuelans, on flights to El Salvador, where they remain to this day, completely out of reach. The 32-year-old Venezuelan migrant is part of a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit argues that invoking the Alien Enemies Act is illegal and violates the constitutional due process rights of the immigrants involved. 'That invocation is patently unlawful: It violates the statutory terms of the (Alien Enemies Act); unlawfully bypasses the (Immigration and Naturalization Act); and infringes on noncitizens' constitutional right to Due Process under the Fifth Amendment,' the lawsuit states. Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) handling the case, said the goal is for both Andry Hernández and the other Venezuelans in Cecot to have a fair process in the US. 'We filed this lawsuit because we know there are more than a hundred Venezuelans who were illegally sent to a brutal Salvadoran prison without ever having the chance to defend themselves. Our goal is to get all of them back to the US so they can have fair hearings,' Gelernt said in a statement sent to CNN by email. The ACLU attorney also says they have not been able to communicate with any migrants in Cecot, so Andry Hernández and the other detainees have been unable to contact their families and loved ones for more than two months. In May, the US Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump's government resuming deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. The decision was a significant defeat for the president, who wants to use the law to speed up deportations and avoid the usual required reviews. However, it is a temporary measure, and the legal battle over the president's invocation has continued in various courts. Federal courts in Texas, Nevada, Colorado, and other states have issued orders blocking the use of the law, at least in the short term, while judges consider a series of lawsuits filed by targeted immigrants. Several courts have also issued more permanent orders, and a Trump-appointed judge in southern Texas ruled on May 2 that the president had illegally invoked the Alien Enemies Act. The family of this Venezuelan say the tattoos that led to him being labeled a member of the Tren de Aragua have nothing to do with a gang and, rather, refer to the traditional Reyes Magos festival in his town. The crowns on his wrists are related to the Reyes Magos and are accompanied by the names of his mother and father, while the snake on his forearm refers to one of the roles he has played in the festival, says Reina Cárdenas. CNN asked the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about Andry's case and, without mentioning him directly, the agency said its intelligence assessments go beyond tattoos and social media reviews, without giving further details. 'DHS intelligence assessments go well beyond just gang affiliate tattoos and social media,' a senior DHS spokesperson told CNN in a statement sent by email. 'Tren De Aragua is one of the most violent and ruthless terrorist gangs on planet earth. They rape, maim, and murder for sport. President Trump and Secretary (of Homeland Security) Kristi Noem will not allow criminal gangs to terrorize American citizens. We are confident in our law enforcement's intelligence. We aren't going to share intelligence reports and undermine national security every time a gang member denies he is one. That would be insane.' Cárdenas and Romero say that Andry's social media also does not prove the allegations that he is a member of the Tren de Aragua. On his Instagram profile, whose first post dates to 2015, there are hundreds of photos of his work as a makeup artist and costume designer. Both shared multiple documents with CNN to prove Andry's innocence. Among them are a certificate of good conduct from the mayor of Nuevo Capacho, a certification stating he has no criminal record, and a petition from the Reyes Magos Foundation of Capacho – which organizes the festival and has watched Andry grow up – and the community at large to corroborate that Andry is 'a hardworking citizen from a good family with no criminal record, innocent and unjustly detained in El Salvador.' This petition has been signed by around 600 people. His friend and mother say the young man chose to seek asylum in the US because of problems he had while working as a makeup artist at a Venezuelan government-affiliated TV network. They say he suffered harassment for being openly gay and had difficulties for political reasons. In a statement that is part of the evidence in the class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration, Alexis stated that her son 'was persecuted both for his sexual orientation and for his refusal to promote government propaganda' while working as a makeup artist at the TV network in Caracas. CNN asked the Venezuelan government about this accusation but has not received a response. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has previously spoken about the case of Venezuelans detained in El Salvador, calling the situation a kidnapping. 'I swear to you that we will rescue the 253 Venezuelans kidnapped in El Salvador, in concentration camps, as seen today,' Maduro said earlier this month during an event after the first video of the detainees at CECOT was released. 'Let's demand that those young people who are kidnapped without trial, without the right to (appear before) a judge, without the right to defense, without having committed any crime, be released immediately. And we are ready to go get them on a Venezuelan plane and bring them back to their families,' the South American leader added. In March, El Salvador agreed with the US to admit up to 300 immigrants sent by the Trump administration to be detained at Cecot after the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, an unprecedented move. El Salvador would receive about $6 million from the US for taking in detainees at that prison, according to a renewable agreement between the two governments. In April, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele proposed to Maduro the exchange of people deported to his country and imprisoned in exchange for what he considers 'political prisoners' of the Venezuelan government. Maduro responded by demanding that lawyers and family members be allowed access. Meanwhile, in the US, pressure continues for the release of Hernández and all detainees at Cecot. Margaret Cargioli, attorney at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center and legal adviser to Andry Hernández, said in early May that 'due process matters' and that they will not stop until everyone is brought back to the US. For his part, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Democratic state senator from New York, commented that what Andry and the other detainees are going through goes against American values. 'It is un-American to deport residents of this country without any kind of due process, and even more so to subject them to the conditions of a foreign prison without oversight or safety guarantees. Yet that is exactly what happened to Andry Hernández Romero, and hundreds of others, who were sent to the notoriously dangerous Cecot prison in El Salvador,' Hoylman-Sigal said at the event. 'Mr. Hernández Romero came to this country, as people have since its founding, in search of a better life after being persecuted for his sexuality in his home country, Venezuela. Today, New Yorkers gather to show our support for Mr. Hernández Romero, demand that he and all those unjustly deported by the Trump administration be brought home immediately, and call on New York City and the United States as a whole to remain the welcoming refuge for those in need that it once was,' he added.
CNN
7 days ago
- General
- CNN
He left Venezuela as an asylum seeker, dreaming of a career in cosmetics in the US. He was deported to a Salvadoran prison
A year ago, Andry José Hernández Romero left Venezuela to seek a better future in the United States. He wanted to continue growing his career as a makeup artist. He left behind his lifelong home in the little town of Capacho Nuevo, where he lived with his mother, father, and younger brother. On May 23, 2024 – just two days after his 31st birthday – Andry left with the hope of one day opening a beauty salon in the US, or making a living from one of his other passions: design and tailoring. But all that hope has turned to anguish. The Venezuelan makeup artist made it to the US, but his journey became 'tragic,' his mother, Alexis Romero, told CNN. Andry is one of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants who were deported by the US government to El Salvador in March. His loved ones have had no news of him; they are completely out of touch. As of now, there is no certainty about what will happen to him or the rest of the detainees in the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) prison. 'Please bring him back, it's been two months of anguish. We can't take it anymore. Please, put your hand on your heart and send him back. This anguish is eating us alive … I hope these people say, 'Yes, he's coming back.' That they say something, anything, just a little thing,' pleads Alexis, 65. Andry Hernández Romero turned 32 this Wednesday. He is from Capacho Nuevo, a town in the Venezuelan border state of Táchira that, according to official estimates, has fewer than 30,000 inhabitants. He is passionate about design, makeup, costume making, and acting. These artistic skills have made him well known in his hometown, where he has been an essential part of a local festival. Since he was 7, Hernández has participated as an actor in the 'Reyes Magos de Capacho' festival, which a few months ago celebrated its 108th anniversary and is a keystone cultural event in both Táchira and all of Venezuela. 'We're from a small town, but we all know each other,' Reina Cárdenas, 36, and a childhood friend of Hernández, told CNN. 'We became very good friends since we were little kids. He loved to do my makeup, loved to get me ready for the show. We shared many things, many interests. Besides the Reyes Magos festival, we'd go out to eat, we were confidants, we have a very nice friendship.' In his teens and adult life, Hernández continued acting in the festival and also started making costumes and doing makeup for cast members. He studied Industrial Engineering up to the fifth semester at the Santiago Mariño Polytechnic in San Cristóbal, a private university in Táchira. Tuition increased every month, so 'the work bug bit him' and he decided to drop out to focus on his career, his mother says. Up until then, he had spent his whole life in Capacho, except for some trips to Bogotá, Colombia, and Caracas for work. And then came his trip to the US to seek asylum and grow professionally, a trip from which he has not yet returned. Hernández has been far from home and out of contact for months in El Salvador's Cecot after being deported by the US government for alleged links to the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, accusations his loved ones deny. Andry Hernández Romero arrived in the US on August 29, 2024, specifically at the San Ysidro border crossing with Mexico, after leaving Venezuela a year earlier, according to Alexis Romero and Reina Cárdenas. 'He showed up for his CBP One appointment on August 29 and from that moment he was detained in a migration center' in the US, says Cárdenas. The CBP One app, which was crucial for hundreds of thousands of immigrants to schedule appointments at ports of entry, was canceled last January by the Trump administration, which also canceled already scheduled appointments. Reina says that, from the moment he arrived – still during the Biden administration – Andry was linked to the Tren de Aragua because of his tattoos: a crown on each wrist and a snake on his forearm. His is not the only case in which US authorities have associated these tattoos with the Venezuelan criminal gang. When that happened, 'we started sending all the evidence they asked for' to prove otherwise and so Andry could continue his asylum application, adds his childhood friend. 'They had nothing against him, no evidence,' says Reina Cárdenas. 'We submitted everything they requested at the time for the investigation they were conducting, because from the moment he entered the country they linked him to the Tren de Aragua and it was only because of the tattoos. They had no other reason, never submitted any evidence, just the tattoos.' Despite the circumstances, Cárdenas says Andry's case was progressing favorably, according to their conversations with him while he was detained and with his legal defense. 'His asylum process, up to the last we saw, was favorable,' Reina says. 'He passed the credible fear test. Everything was going very well. There were times when he wanted to be deported because of the time he'd spent locked up, and the lawyers and the judge handling his asylum told him his case was going well and to be patient, that he'd be admitted at any moment.' While Hernández's immigration case was ongoing, Trump's second term began, along with a massive government campaign against illegal immigration. Last March, after more than half a year detained since arriving at San Ysidro, the young man was deported to El Salvador. Andry Hernández is one of hundreds of migrants who in mid-March were deported to Cecot – the mega-prison built by El Salvador to incarcerate 'the worst of the worst,' according to the country's president, Nayib Bukele – under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime policy invoked by the Trump administration to expel alleged members of the Tren de Aragua. The US government moved quickly to send hundreds of migrants, including Venezuelans, on flights to El Salvador, where they remain to this day, completely out of reach. The 32-year-old Venezuelan migrant is part of a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit argues that invoking the Alien Enemies Act is illegal and violates the constitutional due process rights of the immigrants involved. 'That invocation is patently unlawful: It violates the statutory terms of the (Alien Enemies Act); unlawfully bypasses the (Immigration and Naturalization Act); and infringes on noncitizens' constitutional right to Due Process under the Fifth Amendment,' the lawsuit states. Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) handling the case, said the goal is for both Andry Hernández and the other Venezuelans in Cecot to have a fair process in the US. 'We filed this lawsuit because we know there are more than a hundred Venezuelans who were illegally sent to a brutal Salvadoran prison without ever having the chance to defend themselves. Our goal is to get all of them back to the US so they can have fair hearings,' Gelernt said in a statement sent to CNN by email. The ACLU attorney also says they have not been able to communicate with any migrants in Cecot, so Andry Hernández and the other detainees have been unable to contact their families and loved ones for more than two months. In May, the US Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump's government resuming deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. The decision was a significant defeat for the president, who wants to use the law to speed up deportations and avoid the usual required reviews. However, it is a temporary measure, and the legal battle over the president's invocation has continued in various courts. Federal courts in Texas, Nevada, Colorado, and other states have issued orders blocking the use of the law, at least in the short term, while judges consider a series of lawsuits filed by targeted immigrants. Several courts have also issued more permanent orders, and a Trump-appointed judge in southern Texas ruled on May 2 that the president had illegally invoked the Alien Enemies Act. The family of this Venezuelan say the tattoos that led to him being labeled a member of the Tren de Aragua have nothing to do with a gang and, rather, refer to the traditional Reyes Magos festival in his town. The crowns on his wrists are related to the Reyes Magos and are accompanied by the names of his mother and father, while the snake on his forearm refers to one of the roles he has played in the festival, says Reina Cárdenas. CNN asked the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about Andry's case and, without mentioning him directly, the agency said its intelligence assessments go beyond tattoos and social media reviews, without giving further details. 'DHS intelligence assessments go well beyond just gang affiliate tattoos and social media,' a senior DHS spokesperson told CNN in a statement sent by email. 'Tren De Aragua is one of the most violent and ruthless terrorist gangs on planet earth. They rape, maim, and murder for sport. President Trump and Secretary (of Homeland Security) Kristi Noem will not allow criminal gangs to terrorize American citizens. We are confident in our law enforcement's intelligence. We aren't going to share intelligence reports and undermine national security every time a gang member denies he is one. That would be insane.' Cárdenas and Romero say that Andry's social media also does not prove the allegations that he is a member of the Tren de Aragua. On his Instagram profile, whose first post dates to 2015, there are hundreds of photos of his work as a makeup artist and costume designer. Both shared multiple documents with CNN to prove Andry's innocence. Among them are a certificate of good conduct from the mayor of Nuevo Capacho, a certification stating he has no criminal record, and a petition from the Reyes Magos Foundation of Capacho – which organizes the festival and has watched Andry grow up – and the community at large to corroborate that Andry is 'a hardworking citizen from a good family with no criminal record, innocent and unjustly detained in El Salvador.' This petition has been signed by around 600 people. His friend and mother say the young man chose to seek asylum in the US because of problems he had while working as a makeup artist at a Venezuelan government-affiliated TV network. They say he suffered harassment for being openly gay and had difficulties for political reasons. In a statement that is part of the evidence in the class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration, Alexis stated that her son 'was persecuted both for his sexual orientation and for his refusal to promote government propaganda' while working as a makeup artist at the TV network in Caracas. CNN asked the Venezuelan government about this accusation but has not received a response. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has previously spoken about the case of Venezuelans detained in El Salvador, calling the situation a kidnapping. 'I swear to you that we will rescue the 253 Venezuelans kidnapped in El Salvador, in concentration camps, as seen today,' Maduro said earlier this month during an event after the first video of the detainees at CECOT was released. 'Let's demand that those young people who are kidnapped without trial, without the right to (appear before) a judge, without the right to defense, without having committed any crime, be released immediately. And we are ready to go get them on a Venezuelan plane and bring them back to their families,' the South American leader added. In March, El Salvador agreed with the US to admit up to 300 immigrants sent by the Trump administration to be detained at Cecot after the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, an unprecedented move. El Salvador would receive about $6 million from the US for taking in detainees at that prison, according to a renewable agreement between the two governments. In April, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele proposed to Maduro the exchange of people deported to his country and imprisoned in exchange for what he considers 'political prisoners' of the Venezuelan government. Maduro responded by demanding that lawyers and family members be allowed access. Meanwhile, in the US, pressure continues for the release of Hernández and all detainees at Cecot. Margaret Cargioli, attorney at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center and legal adviser to Andry Hernández, said in early May that 'due process matters' and that they will not stop until everyone is brought back to the US. For his part, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Democratic state senator from New York, commented that what Andry and the other detainees are going through goes against American values. 'It is un-American to deport residents of this country without any kind of due process, and even more so to subject them to the conditions of a foreign prison without oversight or safety guarantees. Yet that is exactly what happened to Andry Hernández Romero, and hundreds of others, who were sent to the notoriously dangerous Cecot prison in El Salvador,' Hoylman-Sigal said at the event. 'Mr. Hernández Romero came to this country, as people have since its founding, in search of a better life after being persecuted for his sexuality in his home country, Venezuela. Today, New Yorkers gather to show our support for Mr. Hernández Romero, demand that he and all those unjustly deported by the Trump administration be brought home immediately, and call on New York City and the United States as a whole to remain the welcoming refuge for those in need that it once was,' he added.
