Immigration Judges Dismiss 14 Venezuelan Asylum Cases Deported to Salvadoran Prison

A federal immigration judge dismissed the asylum case of Andry Hernández Romero, a gay Venezuelan makeup artist who was forcibly deported to El Salvador's CECOT supermax prison under the Trump administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. Hernández, along with at least 14 other Venezuelans, was expelled without due process and is now held incommunicado at CECOT, with his legal team unable to confirm his condition or whereabouts. Advocates, including the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, argue that dismissing these asylum cases effectively erases these individuals from the U.S. legal system and eliminates their chances of return. Hernández is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the use of the 18th-century wartime law to deport Venezuelans without legal recourse. Despite ongoing legal challenges and calls from U.S. lawmakers, the Trump administration has shown no indication of reversing these deportations. Immigration judges, who are DOJ employees rather than independent judiciary members, have increasingly granted dismissals, raising concerns about potential governmental influence in these cases.