A Venezuelan man has sued the Donald Trump administration after the former was unlawfully deported to an El Salvador prison.
Man Wrongfully Deported to El Salvador Prison Sues Trump Administration for $1.3M
March 25 2026, Published 4:20 p.m. ET
A birthday turned into a nightmare for Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel after he was wrongfully deported to a prison in El Salvador on March 13 after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The experience has reportedly left the Venezuelan traumatized. Rengel has now decided to sue the Trump administration for a sum of $1.3 million over ICE’s alleged misuse of power.
‘Physical and Psychological Abuse’
According to a 44-page complaint, Rengel’s detention took place on the morning of his 27th birthday. The complaint mentioned that though he is elated to be out of prison and back with his daughter, the emotional toll still remains. It read, “painful memories come to him in his sleep most nights, and he wakes up crying.”
A Law & Crime report stated that Rengel was on the first of three flights to the El Salvadorian prison known as CECOT (Center for Terrorism Confinement). The fights sent 238 men directly to CECOT for violating a bench ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg.
The flights were arranged after President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act (AEA). Trump categorized the deportees as part of a gang, Tren de Aragua. He doubled down on the claims, stating that the gang was “perpetrating, attempting and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States.”
An X post mentioning that Neiyerver Adrián Leon Renge has sued the Trump administration for illegally detaining him.
However, Rengel persistently denied any ties with Tren de Aragua or any known gang. Though Boasberg rejected the AEA in connection with the case, Rengel was deported to El Salvador. Rengel was allegedly subjected to “physical and psychological abuse, humiliation and degradation” by the prison guards.
He reportedly suffered harsh and unusual punishments during his time behind bars, including solitary confinement and was allegedly kept in inhumane conditions. The complaint stated, “These conditions and the physical abuse inflicted on Plaintiff were the direct, proximate result of the decisions of federal officials.”
Violation of Eighth Amendment Rights
In the same complaint, the Venezuelan claimed that the unfair detention and harsh punishment violated his Eighth Amendment rights. It mentioned that during this period, the U.S. government kept “constructive custody over” him.
Rengel claimed that ICE officials and the Trump administration were responsible for his initial detention and time spent away from his family.
The claims were brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows individuals to sue in case of damage caused by the tortious acts of federal employees. In special instances, it waives the immunity for members of law enforcement. The lawsuit stated that he was put in a high-risk environment where the detainees are “subject to extreme violence, psychological abuse and denial of medical care.”