The detainees are led into the facility by guards wearing masks, their heads forcefully held at waist height. Upon arrival, they are made to kneel as their heads are shaven amidst the yelling of guards. After which, they are left wearing nothing but shorts. Their enclosed cells, designed for a maximum of 80 individuals, often have to accommodate almost double the number.
Each cell offers a dismal two toilets, and any notion of privacy is nonexistent under the premise of continuous monitoring. No sign of windows can be found on the stark walls of these confinements. The metal bunk beds, tiered and devoid of sheets, pillows, or mattresses, are the only pieces of furniture in these harsh spaces.
A single water jar for drinking and a lone bucket for washing are the only sources of hygiene for the entire cell. Flourescent lights remain lit at all times, creating an ethereal atmosphere. The dreary confines of their cells only extend for a brief half-hour daily, spent either exercising in the hallways or engaging in Bible discussions.
Their existence is devoid of books, letters, personal items, or any form of contact with the outside world. This fleeting half-hour is their only respite. Contact with their families or legal representation is non-existent. Their locations remain a mystery to them, and the likelihood of anyone knowing is close to nothing.
Regarded not as a prison, because a lawfully justified conviction does not warrant confinement here, this is instead a concentration camp. A detention facility where people are held indefinitely without any legal justification. The inhabitants are not serving sentences but spent their lives in detainment. Mass incarcerations have taken place, locking tens of thousands away for good.
A proportion have had past criminal convictions, but a significant number were brought here without ever being offered the chance for legal defense. The life inside El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) sounds like a living nightmare, which is exactly what it’s intended to be. The purpose is to reign terror both within and beyond these walls.
The facility’s administration vehemently asserts that those incarcerated here are criminals and terrorists, yet they present no evidence to support these accusations. In reality, about 90% of the prisoners held haven’t committed any crime. Only a handful had any violent criminal history or record.
These individuals were detained solely based on questionable tattoos or clothing choices and were never given a chance to counter these allegations before being sentenced to a lifetime of suffering. The story of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia is one such poignant example. Despite being legally prohibited from being deported to El Salvador and the government confessing in court to have wrongly brought him here, they refuse to facilitate his return, even in the face of court orders.
The U.S. Supreme Court has even echoed that his deportation was illegal and it is the government’s duty to see his return facilitated. This defiance of the highest court in the country by the executive branch marks a potential constitutional crisis. We are facing dire circumstances, ones that threaten our most fundamental freedoms.
One might believe they are safe because they abide by the law, but remember, the majority of these men were law-abiding. Even if you’re not an undocumented immigrant like some of these men, you’re not immune from this threat. It’s essentially a war on due process, the right to be heard before being deprived of life, liberty, and property.
This right isn’t confined to citizens alone but extends to everyone on American soil. It ensures that we have a right to justify ourselves in a court of law before the government puts us away. But if the government can exercise such immense power by labeling someone a ‘terrorist’, none of us stand a chance.
If they can send someone to suffer in a foreign confinement and then wash their hands of any responsibility or power to bring them back, no one is truly safe. Our only defense lies in the guarantee of due process rights. Otherwise, someone could be taken against their will and detained in a foreign country without a valid case against them, such as the case of Abrego Garcia.
Without a way to rectify injustices like Garcia’s case, we are left in a precarious situation, where any of us could potentially be next. This kind of power abuse is not unfamiliar. Indeed, it was considered a grave threat and listed among the grievances in our Declaration of Independence against King George III in 1776: the act of being transported across the sea to be tried for allegations.
If we wish to preserve our freedom, it is paramount that we respond to these encroachments on our rights with equal urgency as our Founding Fathers did. It is equally essential that we continue to uphold the values and rights that are inherent in our Constitution and society.