Gay Venezuelan asylum seeker deported to El Salvador prison, released in prisoner swap months later
May 22, 2026 · Tecoluca, El Salvador, Venezuela

Andry Hernández Romero, a gay makeup artist from Venezuela, legally entered the U.S. in August 2024 and passed a credible fear interview for asylum. In March 2025, the Trump administration deported him to CECOT, a maximum security prison in El Salvador, under the Alien Enemies Act as part of a broader deportation of 237 Venezuelan migrants. Authorities cited tattoos allegedly linking him to gang activity, which his family disputed as relating to a local cultural festival. Hernández Romero was detained in CECOT for over four months before being released in July 2025 as part of a prisoner swap. He was subsequently returned to Venezuela rather than allowed to remain in the U.S. His case became part of a class-action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations. A Venezuelan makeup artist was deported to El Salvador and subsequently traveled to Spain to seek asylum. The person states they feel safe in Spain and is pursuing asylum protection there.
Sources
- advocate.com (archived)
- shows.acast.com (archived)
- qnotescarolinas.com (archived)
- metroweekly.com (archived)
- CBS News (archived)
- advocate.com (archived)
- inquisitr.com (archived)
- irishstar.com (archived)
- CNN (archived)
- businessoffashion.com (archived)
- Los Angeles Times (archived)
- The Guardian (archived)
- theolivepress.es (archived)
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