Andry José Hernández Romero, the gay makeup artist wrongfully deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, has met virtually with U.S. Rep. Mark Takano.
Hernández Romero was detained in the brutal CECOT prison in El Salvador for 125 days before being released in July. He was seeking asylum in the U.S. due to persecution he faced in his native Venezuela due to his sexual orientation and political views.
He had entered the U.S. legally in 2024 but was deported after showing up for an appointment the U.S. government gave him. He was not given a hearing or any due process. The Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to order the deportation of him and others. Officials accused him of gang ties based on crown tattoos above the names of his parents, though his attorneys say he has no criminal record. He was sent back to Venezuela along with more than 250 other detainees in a prisoner swap.
“What the American government did to Andry and others is a stain on the moral fabric of our nation,” Takano, a California Democrat who is gay, said in a press release. “The Trump administration violated the Constitution and our values by secretly disappearing people into a foreign prison where they were subject to assaults and abuse. No one should ever be subjected to this cruelty, let alone those who came here seeking freedom and safety. Andry’s bravery in telling his story is a call to action for all of us to defend due process and the Constitution.”
Being in CECOT “was an encounter with torture and death,” Hernández Romero told journalists shortly after his release. “Many of our fellows have wounds from the nightsticks; they have fractured ribs, fractured fingers and toes, marks from the handcuffs. Others have marks on their chests, on their face … from the projectiles.”
“We were lied to by ICE officials and then greeted in CECOT with beatings,” he added in Takano’s release. “At every step of the way they abused us. But being Venezuelan is not a crime. I’m grateful to Congressman Takano, who has called for justice for the 252 Venezuelan men sent to CECOT without the opportunity to present their case in immigration court. This story won’t end until justice is achieved.”
Takano introduced legislation to prohibit federal funding to the CECOT prison and led a Special Order Hour on immigrant rights where he highlighted Hernández Romero’s story on the House floor. In addition, he co-led a congressional letter when Hernández Romero was detained in CECOT demanding the U.S. government conduct a wellness check on Hernández Romero, facilitate his access to legal counsel, and immediately facilitate his release.
This article originally appeared on Advocate: Andry José Hernández Romero tells his story of horrific prison abuse to out California Democrat Mark Takano
