According to new court documents filed on Wednesday as part of a lawsuit his wife brought against the Trump administration, Mr Ábrego García and 20 other detainees were repeatedly beaten when they arrived at El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Centre, or Cecot.
Once there, according to the documents, Mr Ábrego García and 20 other deported inmates “were confined to metal bunks with no mattresses in an overcrowded cell with no windows, bright lights that remained on 24 hours a day, and minimal access to sanitation”.
Mr Ábrego García has also alleged that he and the other prisoners were “forced to kneel” from 9 PM to 6 AM, “with guards striking anyone who fell from exhaustion”.
At one point, guards allegedly threatened to confine him with gang members who would “tear” him apart.
His mistreatment led to him losing 30lbs (14kg) within the first two weeks of his incarceration in El Salvador, according to the complaint.
Daily reminder to all ICE agents. By signing up for ICE, you have signed yourself up for a lifetime of fear and criminal liability. There are Nazi concentration camp guards that were tried for their crimes in their 90s. There is no statute of limitations on crimes against humanity. Your names are recorded; your deeds are known. And you will face justice for your crimes. And do not count on a blanket pardon saving you. Crimes against humanity are violations of international law that cannot be pardoned.
It would be nice to imagine ICE hunters, years from now, hunting those traitors to humanity down, one after the other, no matter where they escape.
I think there are a whole lot of young US citizens right now watching their own relatives being deported, sometimes leaving them as orphans. ICE is creating a generation of ICE hunters that will chase them down to the ends of the Earth.
At its peak, there were 8.5 million members of the Nazi party. Less than 7000 Nazis ever faced convictions for their actions.
Just in case you thought we lived in some fairy tale world where evil people always see consequences for their actions, rather than the real world we live in where the overwhelming majority of them don’t.
The most likely outcome is that ICE agents are going to live long lives, with upper-middle, or even lower-upper, class incomes and pensions, and will never lose a moment of sleep over what they do.
Joining ICE isn’t joining the Republican party. Joining ICE is joining the SS. But still, you’re right, the vast majority will go unpunished.