President Trump’s decision to send migrants to a Salvadoran prison has set off a national debate in the U.S. In El Salvador, the phenomenon of men disappearing into prisons is all too familiar.

The DHS official said ICE detained Escalona in January 2025, after he was arrested by local Texas police for evading arrest in a vehicle. He arrived at Bluebonnet after he was returned from the U.S. migrant detention facility in Guantanamo Bay in February.

Even as the Administration refuses to reveal the names of those it has deported under the Alien Enemies Act, a network of lawyers and advocates is fighting to keep their cases alive.