Venezuelan family seeks answers after loved one in North Texas deported to El Salvador mega-prison
A Venezuelan family is seeking answers after their loved one, who lived in Lewisville, was deported to a mega-prison in El Salvador.
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Family devastated by sudden deportation
Despite a spotty internet connection in Venezuela, Izaida Alvarado shared how her brother, Neri Alvarado Borges, worked at the bakery until he was deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March.
"I feel very sad, very sad, because I'm the oldest and he comes right after me and we were very close," Alvarado told CBS News Texas. "March 14 was the last time we spoke to him."
Alvarado said her brother Neri was sent to CECOT, the maximum-security prison in El Salvador, despite being a Venezuelan asylum seeker with no criminal history. Neri had only been living in the U.S. since April 2024. His family said they didn't know he was sent to El Salvador until CBS News published a list of over 200 immigrants who were sent there.
Trump administration labels deported immigrants
The Trump administration claims all the immigrants sent to that prison are terrorists and violent gang members. Days before Neri was taken to El Salvador, Alvarado spoke to him over the phone from a Texas detention facility.
"He told us that an ICE agent asked permission to view his phone, his social media accounts, and to review his tattoos, and then they told him 'no, you're not linked to the gang Tren de Aragua,'" she said.
The family said Neri has no criminal records in Venezuela or the U.S. One of his tattoos is an autism awareness tattoo for his little brother — the other two read "family" and "brothers" in Spanish.
Further delving into case
CBS News Texas did some digging and couldn't find any criminal records for him within Dallas or Denton counties or the national database. It reached out to ICE to understand what evidence they had to support his removal.
In a statement, an ICE spokesperson said, "This subject was arrested on Feb. 24, 2025, and processed under Title 8 authority. On March 5, 2025, an immigration judge issued him a final order of removal."
Concerns raised over Title 8 implementation
Immigration attorney Tessy Ortiz explained that under Title 8, immigration authorities can quickly process and remove immigrants who lack a legal basis to stay in the country, including asylum seekers. However, there are concerns about how the Trump administration is implementing this process.
"Unfortunately, yes, that is the norm," Ortiz said. "They disregard any due process to give you the chance to defend and demonstrate that you are not a criminal, so that is unfortunate."
The administration has justified deportations like Neri's by saying that many of these migrants are the "worst of the worst."
Family pleads for return
Alvarado expressed frustration over the situation but emphasized that their main wish is to have Neri back home in Venezuela.
"Some of these people, like my brother, are innocent people," she said. "To take them to such a bad prison, it's just not fair."
