As the U.S. government is transferring individuals to CECOT (El Salvador’s mega-prison known for alleged human rights violations), and as this violates international law and U.S. statutes regarding asylum, torture, and due process, Americans must act to raise awareness and push for accountability.
📣 1. Get Informed and Stay Updated
Before taking action, it’s important to understand what’s actually happening. Follow trustworthy sources such as:
- Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and The Intercept
- Investigative journalists reporting on immigration and Central America
- U.S. government oversight organizations like the ACLU or Government Accountability Project
Knowledge is power, especially when confronting violations that may be obscured from public view.
🗳 2. Contact Your Representatives
Reach out to your local, state, and federal representatives—especially your members of Congress—to demand:
- Investigations into illegal transfers or deportations
- Suspension of cooperation with El Salvador’s government until abuses are addressed
- Reaffirmation of the U.S. commitment to the Convention Against Torture
Use phone calls, emails, and town halls. Make it clear this is a priority issue for you as a voter.
Draft Email to Your Representatives
Subject: Demand Immediate Action to Halt Illegal Deportations to El Salvador’s CECOT Prison
Dear [Representative/Senator] [Last Name],
I am writing as a concerned constituent to urge you to take immediate action against the Trump administration’s ongoing deportations of individuals to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison. Reports indicate that many deportees, including individuals like Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a Maryland resident with legal protection from deportation—have been sent to CECOT despite court orders and without due process.
CECOT is notorious for severe human rights abuses, including overcrowding, inadequate food, and lack of medical care. The U.S. government’s $6 million payment to El Salvador to detain these individuals raises serious legal and ethical concerns.
I respectfully request that you:
- Initiate or support congressional investigations into these deportations and the conditions at CECOT.
- Advocate for the immediate return of individuals wrongfully deported, such as Mr. Abrego Garcia.
- Push for legislation that ensures adherence to international human rights standards in all deportation proceedings.
Your leadership on this issue is crucial to uphold the values of justice and human rights.
Sincerely, [Your Full Name] [Your Address] [Your Email Address]
✍️ 3. Support Legal and Human Rights Groups
Organizations fighting deportation abuse or monitoring Central American prisons can use your support:
- Donate or volunteer with groups like:
- Al Otro Lado
- RAICES
- ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project
- Human Rights First
- These groups often litigate, report, or provide direct aid to impacted individuals.
🧾 4. File or Support Freedom of Information Requests
Support journalists or NGOs filing FOIA requests to uncover:
- The scale of U.S. involvement
- DHS or ICE coordination with El Salvador’s security forces
- Legal justifications being used for transfers or deportations
Transparency can be a powerful weapon when confronting illegal or unethical policy.
Active Petitions and FOIA Efforts
ACLU FOIA Lawsuit: The ACLU has filed a FOIA lawsuit revealing details about proposals to expand immigrant detention, including at facilities notorious for human rights abuses.
Community FOIA Initiatives: Grassroots organizations are mobilizing to file FOIA requests concerning the deportations to CECOT.
Petitions: Organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International often host petitions related to human rights violations. Visiting their official websites may provide current opportunities to take action.
🪧 5. Join or Organize Protests and Campaigns
Public pressure matters. You can:
- Join immigration justice rallies or human rights vigils
- Use social media to call out DHS, ICE, and U.S. officials by name
- Share survivor stories or videos exposing prison conditions (when verified)
Verified Footage and Reports on CECOT
CBS News Report: Most of the men deported to CECOT have no known criminal records.
60 Minutes Investigation: An in-depth report by 60 Minutes highlighted the conditions at CECOT and the questionable evidence used to justify deportations.
NPR Coverage: NPR provided an overview of CECOT, describing it as a facility where visitation, recreation, and education are not allowed, raising concerns about human rights violations.
These reports can be shared on social media platforms to raise awareness and mobilize public opinion against these practices.
Movements like #NoHumanIsIllegal and #ShutDownCECOT are already be underway—tap into those efforts.
📢 6. Use Media and Social Platforms Strategically
- Write op-eds or letters to the editor in local or national outlets
- Create and share infographics, reels, or threads explaining the issue simply
- Tag government officials, journalists, and rights orgs to spread visibility
Narrative control is key in shaping public opinion and forcing political response.
⚖️ 7. Push for Congressional Oversight and Legal Reform
Demand that Congress:
- Hold hearings on U.S. complicity in international human rights abuses
- Reassert the Leahy Laws (which bar U.S. aid to foreign military units committing abuses)
- Bolster protections against refoulement (returning people to danger)
Support leaders who commit to these goals—and vote out those who won’t.
🌍 8. Build Solidarity Across Borders
Partner with or support Salvadoran activists and journalists risking their safety to expose what’s happening inside CECOT. Often, diaspora groups are deeply involved and can offer firsthand insight and ways to help from abroad.
Updates
1 April, 2025: ‘I cried’: Flight attendants describe inhumane conditions on deportation planes’: Flight attendants were told they would fly rock bands, sports teams and sun-seekers. Then Global Crossing Airlines started expanding into federal deportation flights.
10 April, 2025: The El Salvadoran prison is significantly worse than I realized
14 April, 2025: Went to Alexandria yesterday to do some plane spotting…you can see their feet chained: Global Crossing Airlines, Inc.(operating as GlobalX Airlines) is an American Part 121 domestic, flag, and supplemental charter airline headquartered in Miami, Florida. GlobalX operates the majority of deportation flights on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
15 April, 2025: “Homegrowns Are Next”: Protests Erupt as Trump Proposes Sending U.S. Citizens to Salvadoran Prisons
23 April, 2025: Wife of wrongly deported Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia forced into safe house after government posts address online: Homeland Security shared copy of protective order from 2021 revealing family’s address on social media
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