Donald Trump has made it clear that he is going to go after illegal immigrants during his second Presidential campaign. There have already been a large amount of deportations in a few months. Now reports are surfacing that one of those deportations included a professional athlete.
BREAKING: Donald Trump Has Professional Athlete Deported
As a result of a tattoo misinterpreted as gang affiliation, Venezuelan soccer star Jerce Reyes Barrios was deported to El Salvador:
The 36-year-old was awaiting an asylum ruling in the U.S. when he was detained last September by agents who believed he was part of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan narcoterrorist and criminal organization labeled as a foreign terror group by President Trump.
The tattoo that led to his arrest is of a soccer ball with a crown, rosary, and the word “Dios,” which translates to God in Spanish. According to Linette Tobin, Barrios’ lawyer, the design was inspired by the logo of his favorite football team, Real Madrid CF, not gangs.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the New York Post that Barrios’ detainment wasn’t solely based on the tattoo but also a social media post showing him making a hand gesture with his thumb, index finger, and pinkie. Tobin clarified that this gesture is commonly used to signify “I love you” in sign language or “rock n’ roll.”
Officials were initially “confident” in pegging Barrios as a gang member, but evidence such as his clean criminal record, employment letters, and testimony from his tattoo artist eventually led to his removal from maximum security. However, without warning, Barrios was moved from San Diego to a Texas facility earlier this month, Tobin reports.
On March 15, Barrios found himself among the over 200 Venezuelan migrants deported under the Alien Enemies Act during the Trump administration’s crackdown. A controversial agreement with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele resulted in these individuals being detained at a notorious prison in the country.
Since his deportation to El Salvador, Barrios’ lawyer and relatives have lost all contact with him, leaving them in the dark about his wellbeing. With his final asylum hearing set for April 17 in San Diego now in jeopardy, his legal status hangs in the balance. “He has never been arrested or charged with a crime,” Tobin emphasized in a recent affidavit.
