One particularly poignant moment took shape for those families divided by borders. VIDEO In a powerful short film, a group originally from Venezuela who were deported to El Salvador’s Cecot, a maximum-security prison, spoke with their family members, creating an emotionally charged experience. The one minute video reveals some of the unconvicted men in jail garb (the official white T-shirt and shorts uniform), an unsettling scene. You can listen to the crowd chanting words of hope such as “Libertad!” and “Venezuela! Countless others communicate their call for assistance using one singular sign—a universal signal of distress, fists with four fingers tucked over the thumbs.
Mirelis Cacique López, one of the audiences to the video. Jennifer García Cacique looked on as her son, Francisco Javier García Cacique, made his entrance on the tiny screen. After not hearing from him for weeks, seeing his face brought a mix of relief and sadness. At the same time, Angie Ríos honored her husband, Jesús Ríos, who she said was living in “survival mode.”
Wanting to show the range of experiences, the other family members quickly began to struggle with complicated feelings when they saw their loved ones. Yenni Luz Rincón Ramírez learned that her brother, Jonathan Miguel Ramírez, was one of the victims in the video. “I felt very ecstatic because I got to see him finally after 60 days now,” she said. The happiness she should have felt on seeing her brother was darkened by all that she knew of his condition.
When it was time for ICE to deport Blanca Martínez’s partner, Miguel Ángel Rojas, she found out through news outlets. Her pain increased when she viewed him in the video. It was a really heavy thing for her to see him there not knowing what condition he’s in and it hurts her. She testified about the traumatic impact of this separation and her husband’s continued detention has had on her.
It is the U.S. government that kicked off these deportations, as part of an agreement struck in March during the waning days of the Trump administration. Under the terms of an agreement with the federal government, El Salvador will hold up to 300 immigrants at Cecot. In exchange, the U.S. will make payments totaling around $6 million. The order has been met by wide and deep condemnation. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has criticized the deportation, calling it an act of “kidnapping.”
Only to have the families of the detainees return to their terror and uncertainty. They continue to hope for word about their missing loved ones. These families — and so many others — are still looking for justice and transparency. The short film serves as a shocking reminder of the trauma endured by families torn apart by anti-immigrant policies.
“I saw him and I heard him” – Angie Ríos
Yet reports have emerged about the atmosphere inside Cecot, prompting worries about the mental health of people in detention there. Miguel Ángel Rojas is dealing with depression, and the psychic pain of his partner only grows more acute given his situation today. Even with these developments, the families continue to worry about what will happen to those who are still suffering through this tragedy.
