Trump Administration Said They Were Violent Criminals - Where Is The Proof?

The Trump administration deported 238 immigrants to a maximum prison in El Salvador. A couple of days ago, they sent 10 more to that prison. Administration officials said they were violent criminals - the worst of the worst.

As President Bukele of El Salvador visited the White House, HHS Secretary Kristi Norm thanked him for taking these "worst" criminals that the U.S. didn't have room for. What a ridiculous statement!

The United States has more people in prison per capita than any other country in the entire world. I'm sure we could have found room for 248 more. The problem was not having enough room. It was violating both the Constitution and the rule of law.

These immigrants (and any other visitor to this country) have the same rights under our Constitution as citizens do. One of these important rights is "due process" - the right to a hearing or trial before the government takes punitive action against you.

If these deportees had been given a hearing (which was their right), the government would have had to prove they were undocumented. They could have done that probably, and then had the right to deport them to the country of their origin.

But they were not deported to the country of their origin (Venezuela). They were sent to El Salvador - and even worse, they were sent to a maximum security prison - possibly for the rest of their lives (or until the U.S. stopped paying El Salvador to incarcerate them).

That was a violation of the rule of law. The government of the United States cannot put anyone in prison with giving them a trial and providing proof that they have violated the law. No proof was offered and no trial was held. Mere statements by government officials are NOT proof!

The truth is that the government likely had no proof. At least 75% of these deportees had no criminal record - and the government offered no proof that any of them had violated U.S. law.

If these men were violent gang members and undocumented, then I would have no problem with their deportation. But it must be done correctly and within the law. When anyone is denied due process and imprisoned without proof in a trial, it puts everyone in danger - even citizens.

Rights must apply to everyone or they are assured for no one.