A Dallas man was arrested, deported and sent to a notoriously dangerous El Salvadoran prison — and it may have been because of an autism awareness tattoo. That’s according to new reporting from Mother Jones.
It’s part of a Trump administration policy of sending Venezuelan men accused of gang affiliations to the Terrorism Confinement Center, also known as CECOT.
In most or all cases, they're being locked up without charges or due process, and family members believe they're being targeted because of tattoos.
That includes Dallas bakery worker Neri Alvarado, who was picked up by ICE even though there appears to be no evidence he had any gang ties.
Mother Jones reporter Isabela Dias joined KERA’s Justin Martin to unpack how it happened — and why families are now desperate for answers.
“This was really one of the most egregious cases that we were able to describe in our article,” Dias said.
Alvarado came to the U.S. in late 2023, and his family told Mother Jones journalists there was no reason to believe he had any ties to Tren de Aragua — a criminal group from Venezuela currently being targeted by the Trump administration.
But in February, Alvarado was picked up by ICE and told it was because of his tattoo, according to his boss.
The tattoo in question: an autism awareness ribbon dedicated to his brother, who is autistic.
Listen to the interview, edited for length and clarity, by clicking the Play button at the top of this story.
