“They Shattered Our Dreams”: NY Father Recounts How ICE Snatched His Son & Sent Him to El Salvador

This interview on May 1st with the father of his 19 year old son who was kidnapped by ICE off the streets of his home in New York and sent to the notorious brutal mega-prison in El Salvador just broke my heart. And infuriated me! The injustice, criminality, immorality, and utterly heartless evil acts of this administration are so traumatizing to bear witness to. But bear witness we must. And then channel our heartbreak and outrage into action to stop the fascist policies of this administration. Yes, cruel immigration policies have existed for decades by both Democrat and Republican administrations. But not like this. The brazenly illegal, terrorizing, and profoundly cruel acts happening now illuminate that they must be stopped. They must! — Molly

As May Day protests call for worker and immigrant rights, we talk to a New York father whose 19-year-old son Merwil Gutiérrez, with an open asylum case, was detained in the Bronx and then flown with over 230 other Venezuelans to a mega-prison in El Salvador, where he is being held incommunicado. Witnesses to Gutiérrez’s arrest say authorities were searching for a different person but, upon encountering the teenager, decided to arrest him simply because he is Venezuelan. He has no criminal history and no tattoos, the features Trump officials have used to accuse Latin American immigrants of being gang members and expel them from the country without due process. Wilmer Gutiérrez says he fears for his son’s safety. “We came here with a dream. We did not think that this injustice was ever going to happen … They shattered our dreams,” said Gutiérrez. We also speak with Ethar El-Katatney, editor-in-chief of Documented, the nonprofit newsroom that broke the story of Gutiérrez’s arrest. Wilmer Gutiérrez is calling on the governments of the United States and El Salvador to facilitate his son’s release. “My son is still a child. His mentality has not matured yet. And right now they are damaging his mind … They are violating all the laws and doing whatever they want.”

Please go here for the original interview and full transcript: https://www.democracynow.org/2025/5/1/merwil_gutierrez_cecot