New York City, June 2, 2025 \u2013 It was a quiet, poignant moment at the foot of a symbol of hope: More than fifty people gathered yesterday on the steps of the Statue of Liberty, not to celebrate, but to remember. They read out names \u2013 238 in total. Names of men who once sought protection in the United States and have now vanished into one of the world\u2019s most notorious prisons: the CECOT megacomplex in El Salvador. The protest was directed at the government of President Donald Trump and, in particular, at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, which has played a key role in implementing the recent mass deportations. The event was organized in cooperation with the Immigrant Defense Law Center (immdef), which has been pointing to the unlawful deportation of the 238 Venezuelan men for weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Our country was once a place that promised protection. Today, it disappears people,\" said a spokesperson for the Center. The group publicly called for the immediate return of the deported men to the United States so that they can exercise their right to due process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 238 men in question were flown on March 15, 2025, on a charter flight operated by GlobalX Airlines to the Salvadoran capital San Salvador \u2013 despite pending asylum applications, partially valid work permits, and existing court orders. An internal directive issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) had previously stated that certain groups of migrants could be deported without judicial hearings under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 \u2013 a move deemed by constitutional scholars as legally dubious to outright unconstitutional. What followed was a transfer to the CECOT prison, officially known as \"Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo.\" The facility, built under El Salvador\u2019s President Nayib Bukele, is infamous for its brutality: human rights organizations regularly document abuse, solitary confinement without outside contact, and medical neglect. According to lawyers and whistleblowers, the Venezuelan men had no opportunity to contact family members or legal representatives. For many, a silence has begun that instills fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The action at the Statue of Liberty is part of a growing wave of protests in the US and around the world. The ACLU now speaks of a \"state-organized human rights violation,\" while Amnesty International demands an immediate stop to deportations to countries where torture or abuse is likely \u2013 including El Salvador. Representatives of the United Nations have also expressed concern, including Felipe Gonz\u00e1lez Morales, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. The case has gained further gravity due to the fact that, according to lawyers, many of the deported individuals had never faced criminal proceedings and were classified as \"not previously convicted.\" Many had lived, worked, or studied in the US for years. Some were reportedly involved in reconstruction efforts after natural disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The case has become a moral and political test \u2013 not just for the courts, but for the very self-image of a country that once inscribed \"Give me your tired, your poor\" at its gates. \"This is not just about the law \u2013 it\u2019s about the heart of our democracy,\" said constitutional scholar Dean Martinez yesterday. The demonstrators at the Statue of Liberty have sent a clear message: They demand names instead of numbers, justice instead of silence. And they remind America that freedom does not begin at the water\u2019s edge \u2013 but in the will to defend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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New York City, 2. Juni 2025 \u2013 Es war ein stiller, eindringlicher Moment am Fu\u00dfe eines Symbols der Hoffnung: Mehr als f\u00fcnfzig Menschen versammelten sich gestern auf den Stufen der Freiheitsstatue, nicht zum Feiern, sondern zum Gedenken. Sie lasen Namen vor \u2013 238 an der Zahl. Namen von M\u00e4nnern, die einst in den Vereinigten Staaten […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-topstory","category-trump-s-world"],"yoast_head":"\n