In April 2025, 19-year-old Merwil Gutiérrez, a U.S. citizen of Venezuelan descent, was wrongfully detained and deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Despite agents realizing he was not the intended target, they proceeded with his arrest, reportedly stating, "Take him anyway." Gutiérrez was subsequently deported to El Salvador and incarcerated in a high-security prison, despite having no criminal record.
Unfortunately, the wrongful detention and deportation of Merwil Gutiérrez is not an isolated incident—it reflects a deeper legacy rooted in the immigration and law enforcement policies championed during the Trump administration.
What Happened?
On April 14, internal meetings among senior officials revealed a renewed push to expand deportations beyond undocumented immigrants to include legal residents and visa holders. This shift has disproportionately targeted individuals based on perceived foreign ties rather than actual criminal conduct, raising concerns of racially and politically motivated enforcement.
Gutiérrez’s case parallels that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March 2025 under unsupported allegations. Despite U.S. Supreme Court rulings affirming his right to return, both U.S. and Salvadoran authorities have obstructed his repatriation. Both men are currently held at El Salvador’s Cecot facility, known for its inhumane conditions and lack of judicial oversight.
These incidents highlight a troubling pattern: Latin individuals are disproportionately subjected to wrongful
detention and deportation, driven by racial profiling and assumptions linking ethnicity to criminality. This aligns with broader trends in Trump’s second-term immigration agenda, which seeks to externalize migration control and expand detentions. Notably, earlier initiatives, such as the 2023–2024 establishment of U.S.- funded processing centers in Colombia and Guatemala, have been accelerated to displace individuals with foreign affiliations.
Wider Effects
The repression extends beyond immigration status. In March 2025, Turkish Fulbright scholar Rümeysa Öztürk was arrested by ICE despite holding a valid visa. Her detainment—allegedly due to pro-Palestinian activism—raises serious constitutional questions around freedom of speech and due process, particularly for international students and legal residents.
Collectively, these cases suggest a strategic use of legal ambiguity to target and remove individuals based on race, origin, or political belief. If these actions cannot be legally justified, they may verge on unlawful detention—or even kidnapping—under international human rights law. As such, they demand urgent judicial scrutiny and public accountability.
