A 32-year-old Venezuelan immigrant was taken into custody after trying to re-enter the United States from Canada, and despite reports claiming he has been deported to El Salvador, his whereabouts remain unknown.
Ricardo Prada Vásquez made a wrong turn while delivering an order from McDonald’s in Michigan and was detained by immigration authorities. He claimed to be in Texas waiting for a plane back to Venezuela but was not on the list of 238 names of immigrants sent to El Salvador.
The Trump administration claims to know his whereabouts, stating he was deported to El Salvador, but Prada’s family and attorneys have no record of his detention or deportation. Immigration experts fear this may be an isolated incident or that others have been removed from the country without being reported.
“This is textbook enforced disappearance,” said Adam Isacson with the Washington Office on Latin America. “I have not heard of a disappearance like this in my 40-plus years of practicing and teaching immigration law.”
The case has raised concerns about the lack of accountability and transparency in deportations, particularly under Trump’s administration. Several judges have blocked similar deportations without a hearing, but Prada’s family and attorneys are unsure if they can challenge his deportation.
Prada initially entered the US through the CBP One app created under Joe Biden’s administration to provide a legal pathway for immigrants to make appointments before reaching the southern border. He was allowed to stay in the US while his case was considered, then moved to Chicago and Detroit before being arrested in January.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/venezuelan-immigrant-accidentally-entered-canada-182357814.html