A soccer player in maximum security

 

JEFFREY ST. CLAIR>

+ Here’s the declaration of immigration attorney Linette Tobin on the arrest and deportation to El Salvador of her client Jerce Reyes Barrios, a professional soccer player and dissident from Venezuela who was seeking asylum in the US as a political refugee.

1. I am the immigration attorney for Jerce Reyes Barrios, born in [sic] January 16, 1989 in Venezuela.

2. In February and March 2024, Mr Reyes Barrios marched in two demonstrations in Venezuela, protesting the authoritarian rule of Maduro. At the second demonstration, he was detained and taken to a clandestine building where he was tortured (electric shocks and suffocation) along with other demonstrators.

3. Shortly after his release, he fled Venezuela for the United States. He registered with CBP One in Mexico, then presented himself to CBP officials on the day of his appointment. He was taken into custody and detained at Otay Mesa Detention Facility in September 2024. 

4. We applied for asylum, withdrawal of removal, and CAT protection in December 2024. His final individual hearing is set for April 17, 2025, before Judge Robinson at the Otay Mesa immigration court.

5. On March 15, 2025, Mr. Reyes Barrios was deported to El Salvador with no notice to counsel or family. It was not until March 18, 2025, that counsel was able to reach an ICE official and learn that he had, in fact, been deported.

6. Mr. Reyes Barrio was/is a professional soccer player in Venezuela. He has never been arrested or charged with a crime. He has a steady employment record as a soccer player, as well as a soccer coach for children and youth.

7. Initially, Mr Barrios was placed in maximum security at Otay Mesa and accused of being a Tren de Aragua gang member. The accusation is based on two things. First, he has a tattoo on his arm of a crown sitting atop a soccer ball with a rosary and the word “Dios.” DHS alleges that this tattoo is proof of gang membership. In reality, he chose the tattoo because it is similar to the logo for his favorite soccer team, Real Madrid. See the logo below.

8. Second, DHS reviewed his social media posts and found a photo of Mr. Reyes Barrios making a hand gesture that they allege is proof of gang membership. In fact, the gesture is a common one: It means “I Love You” in sign language and is commonly used as a Rock-and-Roll symbol.

9. After submitting a police clearance from Venezuela indicating no criminal record, multiple employment letters, a declaration from the tattoo artist who rendered the tattoo, and various online images showing similar soccer ball/crown tattoos and explaining the meaning of the hand gestures, Mr Reyes Barrios was transferred out of maximum security.

10. Nevertheless, on March 10th or 11th, he was transferred from Otay Mesa to Texas without notice. Then, on March 15, 2025, he was deported to El Salvador. Counsel and family have lost all contact with him and have no information regarding his whereabouts or condition.