The lawsuit, now before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, is spotlighting the plight of detained migrants and raising serious concerns over their treatment and legal rights.
El Salvador Faces Lawsuit Over Deportation of Venezuelan Migrants
El Salvador Faces Lawsuit Over Deportation of Venezuelan Migrants
Families of deported Venezuelan nationals are suing the Salvadoran government for their illegal detention in a notorious prison.
In a troubling turn of events, a coalition of migrant rights lawyers has filed a lawsuit with the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, seeking the immediate release of 18 Venezuelan migrants who were deported from the U.S. and are currently held at El Salvador’s infamous Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). The lawsuit alleges that these individuals have been unlawfully incarcerated without due process since their deportation several months ago.
Families of those detained have reported a chilling silence regarding their loved ones since March, most of whom had pending or approved asylum applications in the United States. "They’ve all been deported without due process, excluded from any protection of the law, and are in a situation of enforced disappearance," stated Isabel C. Roby, a senior attorney with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, a leading advocate behind the lawsuit.
The conditions in CECOT, described as a maximum-security prison with an austere environment, have raised grave concerns among human rights advocates. The complaint urges the Inter-American Commission to mandate the immediate release of the detained individuals and facilitate their safe return either to the United States or another location where they can find safety.
Illustrating the partnership established between the Trump administration and El Salvador's government, led by President Nayib Bukele, the lawsuit highlights the broader implications of U.S. deportation policies. The complaint indicates that at least 288 deportees — predominantly Venezuelans, along with some Salvadorans — are currently unaccounted for in CECOT, with neither government disclosing their identities or circumstances.
As the international community closely examines this situation, advocates continue to push for accountability and the protection of migrant rights amid an increasingly controversial deportation framework.
