Host and comedian John Oliver recently harnessed both his talents and his outrage to tell the story of migrant deportations. The biting story on “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” included Andry Hernandez Romero, a gay Venezuelan stylist wrongly accused of being a gang member allegedly because of crown tattoos over which were written the words “Mom” and “Dad.”
Hernandez Romero was sent on flights from the United States to El Salvador’s now infamous mega prison, CECOT. His story was told on 60 Minutes, among other media outlets. Many protests, including those organized by ACT UP NY, and by the Latino Equality Alliance and others in Los Angeles, have tried to call attention to his plight. He is also now part of an ACLU lawsuit against the Trump administration for the misuse of the Alien Enemies Act.
Oliver pointed out how carelessly decisions have been made on deporting people to a place from which the jailors proudly say no one leaves alive. “They will only be able to leave in a coffin,” a Salvadoran minister is quoted saying. Three quarters of the people deported to CECOT are said to have no criminal record, according to Oliver’s report.
Oliver shared the stories of immigrants who were in the US legally and had followed the law but were nevertheless deported. These include a 4 year-old child born in the United States, currently fighting Stage 4 cancer. He was deported with his mother and without his medication.
“The point is what the administration is doing is sometimes targeted, sometimes arbitrary, usually blatantly racist and always cruel–and sometimes breathtakingly so,” Oliver said.
He skewered the odd system used to define people as Tren de Aragua members. Another Venezuelan living in the United States, Jerce Reyes Barrios, a dad and former soccer player, was seemingly deported to CECOT in part because of a picture, over a decade ago, in which he’s making the classic rock music related signs with his hands. Oliver then showed photos of celebrities making the same gesture.
“That is pathetic and, as for this picture of Jerce supposedly throwing up gang signs, if that were true, Rihanna, Fergie and former President George W. Bush are all Tren de Aragua too.”
Oliver ended the segment reminding viewers to call their elected representatives, support legal organizations, and also participate in public protests to help remind justices, among others, that Americans across parties believe arbitrary deportations are not only morally reprehensible but unconstitutional.
You can watch the full episode here.
