Outrage over Donald Trump administration deporting gay makeup artist to El Salvador prison for crown tattoos
Andry José Hernández Romero, a gay Venezuelan makeup artist, has been sent by the US to a maximum security prison in El Salvador as part of Donald Trump-led administration’s mass deportation campaign. This was majorly due to ‘crown’ tattoos on his wrists that allegedly proved him to be a notorious gang member.
The 31-year-old, who fled his home country in a bid to escape persecution for his sexual orientation as well as political beliefs, was detained at the Mexico-US border in August last year when he crossed over to take part in a pre-arranged asylum appointment in San Diego, California, The Guardian reported.
What happened?
Earlier, Hernández told the US immigration officers that he was fleeing persecution due to his sexual orientation. This happened after Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro unleashed crackdown and was widely accused of stealing the July 2024 election mandate to continue his rule.
However, the tattoos on Hernández’s wrist were taken as proof of him being a member of Tren de Aragua, one of Venezuela’s most notorious gangs, and also a “security threat” to the US.
“Detainee Hernandez sports tattoos ‘crowns’ that are consistent with those of a Tren de Aragua member,” The Guardian quoted an agent at California’s Otay Mesa detention centre as claiming in the court documents that were published earlier this week.
Live Events
Also Read: Grand National 2025: Complete list of Aintree Race Day 1 results
On March 15, Hernández was among the large number of Venezuelans who were taken from Texas to a prison in El Salvador. Prior to this, he remained in custody in the US for over 15 months.
Some of these detainees were even paraded before the cameras and were seen getting manhandled by the