LULAC Institute, Inc.

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ICE wrongfully deported Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel – a 27-year-old Venezuelan father, brother, and talented barber – to El Salvador, a country he has never even visited, despite his pending protected status. In a blatant violation of due process, U.S. authorities removed Adrián without a hearing or proper notice, based solely on unfounded suspicions tied to his tattoos. Now, he is trapped in a Salvadoran mega-prison, and his family is desperately fighting to bring him back home. We are raising funds to cover legal fees, fight for Adrián's return, and reunite him with his loved ones. This is about justice and human rights – for Adrián and for all who believe no one should be “disappeared” without due process.

The government crossed the line. Adrián came to the United States legally in June 2023, hoping to build a better future for his 6-year-old daughter, Isabela, who remained in Venezuela. He worked hard cutting hair and integrated into the community, living in Texas with his girlfriend and helping raise her young daughter. He followed the rules every step of the way –applying for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to stay legally in the U.S. while Venezuela remains in crisis. Adrián dreamed of the day he could bring his little girl to join him. But on March 13, 2025 – his birthday – that dream was shattered.

Without warning, armed agents grabbed Adrián in his own apartment parking garage as he headed to a job, without an arrest warrant or any charges filed. They forced him to lift his shirt, saw his personal tattoos (his mother’s and daughter’s names, a tiger, a lion – nothing gang-related), and falsely accused him of gang affiliation. That baseless accusation was all it took. Adrián was handcuffed and taken away in front of his loved ones. No notice. No hearing. No chance to say goodbye. In a matter of days, he was put on a deportation flight and expelled to El Salvador – a place he has no ties to – under a secretive mass deportation program that bypassed the courts. The U.S. government used an archaic “wartime” law to deport hundreds of Venezuelan men like him in mid-March, effectively disappearing them. Adrián never even got to see a judge or call his lawyer. This wasn’t a lawful deportation – it was a kidnapping. Our government admits these removals were a mistake in at least one case, but officials have offered no plan to bring Adrián or others home.

For 40 days, Adrián's loved ones had no idea where he was or if he was even alive. When Adrián's older brother didn’t hear from him on that day – a day when the brothers should have been celebrating a birthday – panic set in. The family searched desperately: calling detention centers, checking ICE’s online detainee system, and even contacting the FBI, only to be told Adrián was “deported” with no further information given. Deported where? they asked. Venezuela? He never arrived there. Finally, through news reports, the family learned the painful truth: Adrián was sent to El Salvador’s notorious megaprison (CECOT) alongside others, essentially vanished without a trace by U.S. authorities. His mother, Sandra, is heartbroken and wakes up each day not knowing if her son is safe. His young daughter in Venezuela keeps asking when she’ll see her papa again. His girlfriend, Alejandra, lies awake at night, unable to sleep from the anguish of not knowing Adrián's fate. What happened to Adrián has devastated his entire family – emotionally, psychologically, and financially.

Adrián has no violent history and no serious criminal record. His only infraction was a minor misdemeanor (for which he paid a fine), hardly something that would make him a danger to society. He was earning an honest living and playing by the rules. Yet he was treated like a dangerous criminal, torn from his loved ones and thrown into a foreign prison without due process. This flagrant violation of his rights may constitute an enforced disappearance – a grave breach of international human rights law. In civilized society, people have the right to a fair hearing before being expelled or punished. Adrián was given none. The U.S. crossed a line, betraying its own ideals of justice. Sending a Venezuelan asylum-seeker to El Salvador (a country with no connection to him) is not only cruel and absurd – it’s illegal. He effectively became a political pawn, swept up by a policy targeting Venezuelan men with tattoos under the false pretext of gang affiliation. Tattoos do not make someone a criminal, and seeking refuge is not a crime. Adrián's disappearance highlights a human rights crisis: if this can happen to him, it can happen to anyone. No family should ever have to endure this nightmare.

Our Mission – Bring Adrián Home: We refuse to let Adrián remain lost in a prison cell far from home. His family is fighting every day to locate him, secure his safety, and win his freedom. We are assembling a legal team and are working to have the U.S. and El Salvador return him to his family. But we cannot do this alone. We are launching this GoFundMe campaign to raise urgent funds for legal fees and related costs to bring Adrián back to the United States and reunite him with his family.

Read Adrian's Story on NBC:

After a month of searching, man learns from NBC News that DHS sent his brother to El Salvador

A Venezuelan man says he and his family back home have been anguished about the "forced disappearance" from the U.S. of Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel.

NBC Report

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/venezuelan-brother-deported-el-salvador-family-looking-rcna202279

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Traigan a Adrián a casa: la lucha de una familia por la justicia

ICE deportó injustamente a Adrián León Rengel, venezolano de 27 años, padre, hermano y talentoso barbero, a El Salvador, un país que ni siquiera ha visitado, a pesar de su estatus de protección legal pendiente. En una flagrante violación del debido proceso, las autoridades estadounidenses expulsaron a Adrián sin una audiencia ni la notificación correspondiente, basándose únicamente en sospechas infundadas relacionadas con sus tatuajes. Ahora, se encuentra atrapado en una megaprisión salvadoreña, y su familia lucha desesperadamente por traerlo de regreso a casa. Estamos recaudando fondos para cubrir los gastos legales, luchar por el regreso de Adrián y reunirlo con sus seres queridos. Se trata de justicia y derechos humanos, para Adrián y para todos los que creen que nadie debe ser "desaparecido" sin el debido proceso.

El gobierno se pasó de la raya. Adrián llegó legalmente a Estados Unidos en junio de 2023, con la esperanza de construir un futuro mejor para su hija Isabela, de 6 años, quien permaneció en Venezuela. Trabajó duro cortando cabello y se integró a la comunidad, viviendo en Texas con su novia y ayudando a criar a su pequeña hija. Siguió las reglas a cada paso: solicitó el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) para permanecer legalmente en Estados Unidos mientras Venezuela seguía en crisis. Adrián soñaba con el día en que pudiera traer a su pequeña hija con él. Pero el 13 de marzo de 2025, su cumpleaños, ese sueño se hizo añicos.

Sin previo aviso, agentes armados arrestaron a Adrián en el estacionamiento de su propio apartamento cuando se dirigía a un trabajo, sin una orden de arresto ni cargos presentados. Lo obligaron a levantarse la camisa, vieron sus tatuajes personales (los nombres de su madre y su hija, un tigre, un león; nada relacionado con pandillas) y lo acusaron falsamente de afiliación a pandillas. Esa acusación infundada fue suficiente. Adrián fue esposado y se lo llevaron frente a sus seres queridos. Sin previo aviso. Sin audiencia. Sin posibilidad de despedirse. En cuestión de días, lo embarcaron en un vuelo de deportación y lo expulsaron a El Salvador, un país con el que no tiene vínculos, bajo un programa secreto de deportación masiva que eludió los tribunales. El gobierno estadounidense utilizó una arcaica ley de "tiempos de guerra" para deportar a cientos de venezolanos como él a mediados de marzo, desapareciendo en la práctica. Adrián ni siquiera pudo ver a un juez ni llamar a su abogado. Esta no fue una deportación legal, sino un secuestro. Nuestro gobierno admite que estas expulsiones fueron un error en al menos un caso, pero las autoridades no han ofrecido ningún plan para traer a Adrián ni a otros a casa.

Durante 40 días, los seres queridos de Adrián no tenían ni idea de dónde estaba ni si estaba vivo. Cuando el hermano mayor de Adrián no supo nada de él ese día —un día en que deberían estar celebrando su cumpleaños—, cundió el pánico. La familia buscó desesperadamente: llamó a centros de detención, revisó el sistema de detenidos en línea del ICE e incluso contactó al FBI, solo para que les dijeran que Adrián había sido "deportado" sin más información. ¿Deportado a dónde?, preguntaron. ¿A Venezuela? Nunca llegó allí. Finalmente, a través de las noticias, la familia supo la dolorosa verdad: Adrián fue enviado a la infame megaprisión de El Salvador (CECOT) junto con otros, prácticamente desaparecido sin dejar rastro por las autoridades estadounidenses. Su madre, Sandra, está desconsolada y se despierta cada día sin saber si su hijo está a salvo. Su pequeña hija en Venezuela no deja de preguntar cuándo volverá a ver a su papá. Su novia, Alejandra, se desvela por las noches, sin poder dormir por la angustia de desconocer el destino de Adrián. Lo que le sucedió a Adrián ha devastado a toda su familia: emocional, psicológica y económicamente.

Adrián no tiene antecedentes de violencia ni antecedentes penales graves. Su única infracción fue un delito menor (por el que pagó una multa), algo que difícilmente lo convertiría en un peligro para la sociedad. Se ganaba la vida honradamente y cumplía las normas. Sin embargo, fue tratado como un delincuente peligroso, separado de sus seres queridos y encarcelado en una prisión extranjera sin el debido proceso. Esta flagrante violación de sus derechos podría constituir una desaparición forzada, una grave violación del derecho internacional de los derechos humanos. En una sociedad civilizada, las personas tienen derecho a un juicio justo antes de ser expulsadas o castigadas. A Adrián no le fue concedido ninguno. Estados Unidos se pasó de la raya, traicionando sus propios ideales de justicia. Enviar a un solicitante de asilo venezolano a El Salvador (un país sin ninguna conexión con él) no solo es cruel y absurdo, sino también ilegal. Se convirtió en un peón político, atrapado por una política que ataca a los hombres venezolanos con tatuajes bajo el falso pretexto de su afiliación a una pandilla. Los tatuajes no convierten a nadie en delincuente, y buscar refugio no es un delito. La desaparición de Adrián pone de relieve una crisis de derechos humanos: si esto le puede pasar a él, le puede pasar a cualquiera. Ninguna familia debería tener que soportar esta pesadilla.

Nuestra Misión – Traer a Adrián a Casa: Nos negamos a permitir que Adrián permanezca perdido en una celda lejos de casa. Su familia lucha día a día para localizarlo, garantizar su seguridad y obtener su libertad. Estamos formando un equipo legal y trabajando para que Estados Unidos y El Salvador lo devuelvan a su familia. Pero no podemos hacerlo solos. Lanzamos esta campaña de GoFundMe para recaudar fondos urgentes para cubrir los honorarios legales y gastos relacionados, con el fin de traer a Adrián de regreso a Estados Unidos y reunirlo con su familia.

Lea la historia de Adrian en NBC:

Tras un mes de búsqueda, un hombre se entera por NBC News que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) envió a su hermano a El Salvador.

Un hombre venezolano afirma que él y su familia en su país están angustiados por la desaparición forzada de su hermano Adrián León Rengel en EE. UU.

Informe de NBC

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/venezuelan-brother-deported-el-salvador-family-looking-rcna202279

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a tragedy unfolded that shook the Baltimore community to its core and brought to light the risks faced by Latino workers in the construction industry. This fundraiser aims to provide immediate financial assistance to the affected families, helping them navigate through these trying times with dignity.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a vital artery connecting lives and communities, experienced a catastrophic collapse when an immense cargo ship, having lost power, crashed into its structure. This incident not only disrupted countless lives but also highlighted the dangers faced daily by those who build and maintain our infrastructure.

Among the workers fixing potholes on the bridge that fateful morning were eight individuals dedicated to their work and their families' futures. Most of these workers, originally from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico, symbolize the broader narrative of Hispanic workers' significant contributions and the disproportionate risks they face in the construction sector. Tragically, two workers were rescued from the chilling waters of the Patapsco River, while the search for the remaining six carried on with dwindling hope.

The aftermath of this disaster has left families and communities in despair, clinging to the hope of finding their loved ones and seeking closure. Families like that of Maynor Suazo, a father and the primary provider of his family, find themselves in an agonizing wait for news. These workers, who arrived in the United States with dreams of a better life, faced the ultimate sacrifice in their quest for the American Dream.

This incident has not only caused personal tragedy but also highlighted the systemic issues facing Latino workers in the United States. Despite making up a significant portion of the construction workforce, they are disproportionately exposed to life-threatening dangers. In 2022 alone, Hispanic workers accounted for a substantial number of fatalities in the construction and extraction industries, underscoring the urgent need for improved safety measures and support.

As we mourn the loss and pray for the missing, we also recognize the urgent need to support the families left behind and to honor the memory of those who perished. This fundraiser aims to provide immediate financial assistance to the affected families, helping them navigate through these trying times with dignity. Additionally, it seeks to raise awareness about the risks faced by Latino construction workers and to advocate for safer working conditions.

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In the spirit of community and compassion, we invite you to join us in this crucial effort to support those affected by the Baltimore bridge collapse. Together, we can turn tragedy into a beacon of hope and solidarity.

About this fundraiser:

My name is Juan Proaño and I am the CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC ). This fundraiser has been established by LULAC, with the unwavering commitment that 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the families impacted by the devastating Baltimore bridge collapse.

Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause. Together, we can provide a beacon of hope and solidarity for those affected, reinforcing our collective commitment to uplift and support our communities in times of need.

LULAC is the countries oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. LULAC has thousands of members in California and many living in the impacted areas. 100% of proceeds raised will go directly to support families in need in California.

These devastating wildfires that are sweeping through California, are leaving thousands of families displaced, homes destroyed, and lives turned upside down. These fires have forced families to flee with little more than the clothes on their backs, and they urgently need your support to rebuild their lives.

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Thank you for your kindness and support. ❤️