Several families are demanding answers after their loved ones were deported in a sweeping immigration crackdown, claiming they were unfairly targeted simply for having tattoos. The Trump administration recently used an old wartime law to deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which was recently designated a foreign terrorist organization. But relatives insist their family members have no criminal history and were wrongfully deported based on assumptions about their tattoos.
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One of the deportees, 29-year-old Mervyn Yamarte, was identified in footage from a detention center by his family. His mother, Mayor Elise Casique, recognized him by his tattoo and says he was wrongly accused.“They should check his record—he has no criminal background,” Casique said, urging authorities to send him back to Venezuela instead of detaining him elsewhere.
Yamarte was arrested at his home in Irving, Texas, by ICE agents who allegedly told him he was being sent back to his home country. His family says he had no idea he was being targeted as a gang member.
Trump recently invoked the Alien Enemies Act, allowing the government to remove non-citizens deemed threats. Officials say the individuals deported were affiliated with Tren de Aragua, a violent gang that has been linked to crimes across multiple countries.
However, families and advocates are questioning how authorities determined who was part of the gang. When pressed on the criteria, law enforcement officials pointed to intelligence investigations, social media activity, and criminal records. But when NBC News asked Homeland Security for proof of criminal backgrounds, officials declined to provide specific records, stating only that they are “confident” in their intelligence.An Orlando family is also speaking out, saying their brother was deported after ICE agents linked him to Tren de Aragua because of tattoos on his arms. They claim his only crime was entering the U.S. illegally and turning himself in to immigration authorities.
With growing concerns that innocent people may have been caught up in the crackdown, families are pushing for a review of these cases. Whether officials will respond remains uncertain, but the controversy over these deportations is far from over.
