WASHINGTON D.C. - Democracy Defenders Fund (DDF), with the assistance of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), has submitted an administrative claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) on behalf of Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel. The filing contends that federal government employees wrongfully and negligently detained and removed Mr. Rengel from the country without cause or due process.  Mr. Rengel, who was among the group of Venezuelan nationals who a federal court ordered the government not to remove or to return if in transit– an order that was ignored. Instead, he was transferred to a notoriously brutal maximum security mega-prison in El Salvador, out of reach from anyone in the outside world, including his family. There, he was beaten and endured severe mistreatment under inhumane conditions.

“You don’t have to be a constitutional scholar for the Rengel case to set off alarms. If you’re an American who believes in justice at all, this case should be shocking. Detaining and disappearing someone without cause or access to legal recourse is illegal and abhorrent,” said Amb. Norm Eisen, executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund. “This kind of conduct may be straight out of the Trump playbook on immigration, but it has nothing to do with the American Constitution or our values.”

Mr. Rengel’s claim outlines how he was wrongfully and unlawfully arrested, detained and then transferred, along with others, to El Salvador’s CECOT, where he was abused and suffered under horrific conditions. It also details the role government officials including Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Adviser, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Emil Bove played in his plight. The claim seeks compensation under the FTCA, which allows individuals to pursue monetary damages caused by the negligent or wrongful actions of federal employees.

“Mr. Rengel’s loved ones were cut off from contact, left with no answers, and forced to endure months of fear, confusion, and heartbreak," said Juan Proaño, Chief Executive Officer of LULAC. "While no amount of money will ever be able to make up for the deeply traumatic wounds Mr. Rengel now bears, our government has the responsibility to ensure he and his family have the resources they need as they cope.”

The administrative claim can be viewed HERE.

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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state, and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. Founded in 1929, LULAC is committed to advancing the rights and opportunities of Latino Americans through advocacy, community building, and education.