Venezuelan migrant deported to El Salvador without due process under Alien Enemies Act
Mar 15, 2025·Location: Chicago, IL
Country of origin: Venezuela

Maikol Gabriel López Lizano, a Venezuelan migrant working as a mechanic in Chicago, was arrested in February 2025 on suspicion of gang membership in Tren de Aragua. He was deported on March 15, 2025, via charter plane to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 without due process or the opportunity to challenge the allegation. Maikol Gabriel López Lizano, 23, was arrested in Chicago in August 2023 on misdemeanor charges for riding his bicycle on the sidewalk while drinking a beer. He was deported to CECOT prison in El Salvador on March 15, 2025, as part of the Trump administration's mass deportation of 238 Venezuelans. His partner, Cherry Flores, described his deportation as a gross injustice for such a minor offense.
Sources
- Enemies of the State
The New Yorker·Sep 8, 2025·archived copy
- Trump Administration Knew Vast Majority of Venezuelans Sent to Salvadoran Prison Had Not Been Convicted of U.S. Crimes
ProPublica·May 30, 2025·archived copy
- Trump deported 238 Venezuelans to El Salvador despite pending asylum cases
- usnews.com
- Trump deported 238 Venezuelans to El Salvador, dozens with active asylum cases
sph.straitstimes.com·Apr 2, 2025·archived copy
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