Venezuelan migrants detained at the Bluebonnet immigrant detention center in Anson, Texas, made a desperate call for assistance by creating an ‘S-O-S’ with their bodies in the yard of the facility, seen by a Reuters drone passing overhead on April 28.
The symbolic move came as deportation fears grew after scores of detainees were served notices claiming they were members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The notices indicated deportation under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, court documents, video calls, and interviews reviewed by Reuters revealed.
On April 18, a busload of Venezuelan men were boarded to be deported to Abilene Regional Airport. But their deportation was stopped by the U.S. Supreme Court, which temporarily halted their removal. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refused to comment on the suspensions of deportation.
If the court orders the stay to be lifted, the targeted are at risk of being sent to El Salvador’s infamous CECOT maximum-security prison, to which at least 137 Venezuelans have been sent during the Trump administration.
‘He Is Desperate’: Families Speak Out
Families of seven or more detainees claimed no gang affiliation, explaining that their relatives would not sign the notices. Diover Millan, age 24, was relocated from Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center to Bluebonnet in mid-April. He is a “documented” member of Tren de Aragua, according to DHS, though no criminal record or evidence was offered. Millan was previously employed in construction.
His wife, who spoke anonymously, said: “He is desperate. He said to me that when he went out on the field, he sat down and looked up at the sky and prayed to God to get him out of there as soon as possible.”
She also said detainees are consuming less. “They haven’t received much food. he tries to sleep more so that he is not so hungry,” she added. Other families made similar complaints. In response, the operator of the facility said meals satisfy daily nutritional standards endorsed by a certified dietitian.
Detainees Deny Gang Links
Another Venezuelan detainee, Jeferson Escalona, 19, was arrested in Texas and later transferred from Guantanamo Bay to Bluebonnet in February. DHS claims he ‘self-admitted’ gang ties, but offered no proof. Escalona denied the allegations, saying he was a police officer in Venezuela and suspects U.S. officials misinterpreted hand gestures from photos on his phone.
“They’re making false accusations about me,” he said. “I don’t belong to any gang.”
He also said, “I fear for my life here. I want to go to Venezuela,” but his voluntary return request was rejected.
Legal Ambiguity and Unresolved Questions
On April 26, an immigration officer went to the dorm and responded to detainees’ concerns, as heard on an audio recording obtained by Reuters. The officer explained that deportation under the Alien Enemies Act sidesteps normal immigration court procedure.
“If he is removed under the Alien Enemies Act, well then that court date doesn’t happen,” the officer clarified. Detained immigrants who were perplexed wondered how they were ‘alien enemies’ when they had no criminal records.
“If I have no criminal record in the three countries where I have lived in, how are they going to deport me to El Salvador?” one detained immigrant questioned.
Escalona and Millan are just some of many waiting for court hearings. Activists now are in a rush to organize legal representation, with Millan’s following asylum hearing set for May 1.
