Overview

• The Cato Institute found that at least 50 of the 200 Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador had entered the U.S. legally through official pathways like refugee programs, parole, or visas.
• The Trump administration labeled all deported individuals as 'illegal aliens' and invoked the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to justify the removals.
• Many deportees were accused of gang affiliation based on tattoos, which the report found to be unreliable indicators, including tattoos referencing sports teams or cultural symbols.
• The Cato report revealed that only two of the deported legal migrants had minor U.S. criminal convictions, countering claims of widespread criminality.
• Human rights concerns persist as deportees are held in El Salvador's overcrowded and abusive CECOT prison, while courts continue to block further use of the Alien Enemies Act for Venezuelans.