Merwil Gutiérrez, a 19-year-old Venezuelan deported from the Bronx. He now faces grave danger in El Salvador’s infamous Cecot prison, which has led many—including his mother—to question whether ICE erred in handling his immigration case. Gutiérrez’s family opened an asylum case immediately upon their arrival in the United States. They claimed that he has no ties to gangs and has no criminal record either. On February 24, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Gutiérrez and 237 other Venezuelans. After their arrest, like many of their peers, all were deported.
Gutiérrez’s family has always maintained that he is innocent. In order to bolster his credibility, they claim that he does not have ties to gangs and no criminal history in Venezuela or the U.S. Wilmer Gutiérrez, his dad, was suddenly overcome with a range of emotions – anger, fear, confusion. He had just found out in a local news story that his son had been deported. He had overheard ICE agents say that they hadn’t meant to arrest Merwil.
“I’ve spent countless hours searching for him, going from one precinct to another, speaking with numerous people who kept referring me elsewhere. As Wilmer Gutiérrez told us, “These people are playing with our lives. After all this, nobody has released a single piece of information or document related to his case!
Their family grew more fearful by the day as they heard nothing about where Merwil was. They were clawing for information about his status after his detention and release. What authorities had told them and the absence of communication made them feel like he was left for dead and worrying for his life in El Salvador.
Footage shared on social media depicted detainees suffering under brutal conditions in Salvadoran prisons. This disturbing video fed the family’s concern for Gutiérrez’s safety even more. Salvadoran authorities have already announced that his government would not comply with a U.S. order to return him to the U.S. With this decision, his family will have that burden compounded.