Democratic Lawmakers Who Traveled to El Salvador Say They Didn't Get Proof of Life for Deported Venezuelan Makeup Artist

Four House Democrats who recently traveled to El Salvador have formally requested proof of life for Andry José Hernández Romero, a 19-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker deportee who is supposed to be detained at the CECOT maximum security prison.

Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), and Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), delivered a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador William Duncan, urging immediate action to confirm Hernández Romero's wellbeing after not getting that reassurance.

The case of Hernández Romero, a gay makeup artist, gained national attention after being deported from the U.S. in March for being classified a gang member due to tattoos of crowns with the words "mom" and "dad", which is a cultural symbol common in his hometown of Capacho, Venezuela, according to an in-depth report by The Guardian published on April 1. His tattoos were interpreted by immigration officials as indicators of affiliation with the Tren de Aragua gang, despite the absence of any criminal record.

In the letter sent by the Democratic delegation, the lawmakers demanded that either they or Hernández Romero's legal team "be allowed to conduct a welfare check regarding his health, safety, and current legal status." They raised concerns about his disappearance from communication since March 14 and emphasized the need for transparency regarding his condition and treatment in custody.

Lindsay Toczylowski, president of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which represents Hernández Romero, confirmed to The Bulwark that she last spoke to his mother before his deportation, believing he was being sent to Venezuela. "The moment people stop paying attention, they're going to live out their lives potentially or die in El Salvador," Toczylowski said, calling the delegation's intervention "critical." Outlet journalist Sam Stein said on Wednesday that lawmakers did not get a proof of life.

Congresswoman Ansari also told the Bulwark this is just the beginning of their efforts to pressure Trump on deportations to El Salvador. "The fact the president is defying the Supreme Court—this is the moment we've been watching for," said Rep. Ansari, referring to the Trump administration's refusal to comply with an order regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadorian whose wrongful deportation has unleashed an ongoing judicial battle with the Trump administration.