Bulwark Takes: "Trump Is Sending Innocent People to El Salvador For Soccer Tattoos" – Detailed Summary

Release Date: March 21, 2025

Introduction to the Issue

In the March 21, 2025 episode of Bulwark Takes, host Andrew Egger delves into a controversial immigration policy initiated by former President Donald Trump. The policy involves deporting Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the guise of targeting gang members, specifically utilizing the Alien Enemies Act. Egger introduces the topic by questioning the legality and rationale behind this unprecedented move.

Donald Trump's Deportation Strategy

Andrew Egger opens the discussion by outlining Trump’s "rolling plan" to deport Venezuelan migrants, potentially extending to other groups. He highlights the administration's reliance on the Alien Enemies Act, an obscure law that allows for the deportation of individuals deemed as enemies without standard due process. Egger expresses skepticism about the administration's claims, stating:

“Not really telling the families, not really telling lawyers, all on the administration say so that these people are members of a gang and therefore, according to the administration, terrorists.”
— Andrew Egger [01:00]

Mechanisms of Identification

Joined by immigration reporter Adrian Carrasquillo, Egger explores the methods the government employs to classify individuals as gang members. Carrasquillo breaks down the criteria used, emphasizing the problematic reliance on superficial markers such as tattoos and social media behavior:

“They'll send 170 guys to Guantanamo Bay or 238 Venezuelan men to an El Salvador prison. And you need basically two markers of being in a gang... tattoos and social media posts.”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [02:05]

Misuse of Gang Affiliations

Carrasquillo provides historical context by referencing the MS-13 gang, known for using tattoos as membership markers. He contrasts the past with the present administration's exaggerated claims about Trend Aragua, a purported Venezuelan gang, highlighting the minimal actual presence of gang members versus the administration’s portrayal:

“Now from what I've seen from Washington Post reporting, there's like 800 or hundreds of Trend members in the U.S. but... they're making this so scary that they have to invoke the Alien Enemies Act.”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [03:30]

Examples of Misidentification

The conversation turns to specific cases illustrating the absurdity of the deportation criteria. Carrasquillo cites the case of a professional soccer player wrongly identified as a gang member due to his tattoos and social media:

“His attorney says that the two things that were used to identify him were a soccer ball and crown tattoo... it's a nod to the fact that he really likes Real Madrid.”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [04:50]

He further highlights how common symbols, such as brand logos and popular culture references, are being misinterpreted as gang affiliations:

“Texas Department of Public Safety put out a PowerPoint where they showed like stars, crowns, roses, trains, grenades, predatory felines, including tigers and jaguars.”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [03:50]

Erosion of Due Process

Egger and Carrasquillo express deep concerns over the lack of due process in these deportations. Unlike standard legal procedures where individuals have the right to defend themselves, the current system bypasses judicial review, leading to wrongful deportations:

“They're not getting due process. They're getting shipped to El Salvador.”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [06:50]

Carrasquillo discusses the case of Gustavo Adolfo Aguilera Aguero, a roofer wrongly labeled as a gang member based on his tattoos, which were later proven to be personal and non-gang-related:

“He was a roofer... goes out to take out garbage, has a crown tattoo with his mom's name... authorities described this tattoo as saying 'until death.'”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [08:10]

Legal Challenges and Historical Context

The episode touches upon previous instances where ICE and DHS failed to substantiate their claims, leading to rejections in immigration courts. Carrasquillo references the case of Daniel Ramirez Medina, a DACA recipient whose gang affiliation claims were debunked:

“ICE was acting like he's a gang member... the judge not only said, you did not prove what you said, but you lied.”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [09:55]

He underscores the misuse of the Alien Enemies Act, a law originally intended for wartime scenarios, now being repurposed for immigration enforcement without clear legal justification:

“What part of the law do you think it's okay to then send people to El Salvador?... the legal basis does not exist for sending these people and disappearing these people.”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [10:30]

Consequences and Future Implications

The hosts deliberate on the broader implications of these actions, warning of a slippery slope where due process is entirely eliminated, and arbitrary deportations become normalized. They warn against the potential for abuse and the dangerous precedent it sets for immigration policy:

“This is like never been done before... the legal basis does not exist for sending these people and disappearing these people.”
— Adrian Carrasquillo [10:50]

Conclusion

Andrew Egger wraps up the discussion by reaffirming the gravity of the situation and the necessity for continued scrutiny of the Trump administration's immigration policies. He emphasizes the importance of upholding legal standards and protecting individuals' rights against arbitrary state actions.

“This is not even on the left right spectrum. Immigration lawyers told me the Alien Enemies Act... it's like never been done before.”
— Andrew Egger [11:20]

Key Takeaways

• Misuse of Legal Frameworks: The Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act for deporting migrants lacks solid legal grounding and circumvents standard legal protections.

• Flawed Identification Methods: Relying on superficial markers like tattoos and social media for gang affiliation is unreliable and leads to wrongful deportations.

• Erosion of Due Process: The current policy bypasses essential legal procedures, denying individuals the opportunity to defend themselves in court.

• Precedent for Future Policy: These actions set a dangerous precedent, potentially leading to further abuses in immigration enforcement.

Notable Quotes

• “Not really telling the families, not really telling lawyers... terrorists.” — Andrew Egger [01:00]
• “There's like... how almost comical that is... off he goes to prison in El Salvador.” — Adrian Carrasquillo [04:00]
• “This is like never been done before... sending these people and disappearing these people.” — Adrian Carrasquillo [10:50]

This episode of Bulwark Takes critically examines the Trump administration's controversial immigration policies, highlighting significant legal and ethical concerns. Through expert analysis and real-world examples, Egger and Carrasquillo shed light on the complexities and dangers of bypassing due process in immigration enforcement.