Lawyers for Venezuelans sent to a prison in El Salvador say new evidence "contradicts” the U.S. government’s assertions that Salvadoran officials, not the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, have legal authority over the men.
Attorneys on Monday filed a copy of statements that El Salvador submitted to a United Nations human rights office in April, stating that "the jurisdiction and legal responsibility” for detainees "lie exclusively” with the United States under agreements between the two countries.
The U.S. government, however, has repeatedly insisted it had no control over the Venezuelan prisoners once they were turned over to El Salvador. That position was backed by a federal judge in Washington, who ruled in June that the detainees were no longer in the "constructive custody” of the U.S.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.