BREAKING:Gay Asylum Seeker Release from El Salvador Gulag

Andry Hernández Romero, a gay Venezuelan asylum seeker disappeared by the Trump administration and held in a notorious Salvadoran prison, has finally been released—part of a prisoner swap that sent him back to Venezuela instead of reuniting him with his family in the U.S.

Andry came here legally in 2024 after fleeing anti-LGBTQ+ persecution. He passed his credible fear interview, then showed up to a scheduled immigration check-in and was detained and deported. The Trump administration used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify it—the same law once used to imprison Japanese Americans. Their evidence? Crown tattoos above his parents’ names.

No trial. No due process. Just disappeared.

He spent four months inside CECOT, the Salvadoran prison known for torture and abuse, including anti-LGBTQ+ violence. A journalist who saw him inside said he was crying, calling out “I’m gay” and “I’m innocent,” and being slapped every time he spoke.

Immigrant Defenders Law Center has been fighting for his release and is leading the court case challenging this abuse of power. Andry is the lead plaintiff.

This is what happens when you gut asylum protections and turn immigrants into bargaining chips. Keep watching. Keep naming it. Keep fighting.