A new court document reveals that the US administration has set a low bar for deporting Venezuelan migrants, labeling them as members of a violent street gang based solely on their clothing or tattoos. The document, titled “Alien Enemy Validation Guide,” outlines an eight-point scoring system to determine if someone belongs to the gang, Tren de Aragua.
The guide assigns four points for having “tattoos denoting membership/loyalty” and another four points for wearing “insignia, logos, notations, drawings, or dress known to indicate allegiance.” Even dressing in high-end urban street wear, such as basketball jerseys from the Chicago Bulls or Michael Jordan, can earn points.
Lawyers for the Venezuelan migrants claim that officials have used these criteria to falsely accuse people and deport them. One migrant, Andry Jose Hernandez Romero, a professional makeup artist, was accused of belonging to the gang due to his tattoos, which his lawyers argue had nothing to do with the gang.
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to freeze a temporary court order that blocked the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants. The White House claims that the deportation process is vital for national security, but critics argue that it amounts to abuse of power and disregard for due process.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/us/politics/us-deportations-tren-de-aragua-deportation-guidance.html