South Dakotan Homeland Security Secretary Uses El Salvador Prisoners as Props for Online Post: ‘The Kind of Evil They Wrote About in the Bible’

The Trump administration continues to stoop to new lows to pass across their anti-immigration policies. The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, recently visited a mega-prison in El Salvador, where she recorded a video using the inmates as a backdrop. Members of the public have come forward to express outrage at the South Dakota native’s actions, calling them “evil.” 

Ever since President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, the U.S. government has been working overtime to deport illegal immigrants in mass numbers. Earlier this month, a large group of Venezuelan immigrants were deported and transferred to a prison called the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador. The U.S. government alleges that the immigrants were deported because they have affiliations with a terrorist gang called the Tren de Aragua. 

On Wednesday, Noem visited the El Salvador prisoners and recorded a video warning immigrants not to enter the country illegally if they didn’t want to suffer the same fate. In the clip, the Republican politician stood in front of the packed holding cell while the prisoners silently stared ahead. Most of the detainees wore only white shorts, had no shirts on, and were heavily tattooed. Their heads were also shaved. The secretary of Homeland Security said:

“I also want everybody to know, if you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face. First of all, do not come to our country illegally. You will be removed and you will be prosecuted. But know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use.”

While Trump’s administration refers to the prisoners as the “worst of the worst,” members of the public have expressed outrage at the act, saying that Noem and the government are “awful” and “evil” for treating the prisoners in such an inhumane way. 

One user said, “This is the kind of evil they wrote about in the Bible,” and another said, “Are these people acting awful on purpose or are they just rotten to the core?” 

Other users called out the administration for being “vile” and “disgusting.” One said, “Sick, evil, and twisted. Very dark days are ahead. Brace yourselves.” “This is so evil, inhumane, and a violation of human rights,” another protested. 

Notably, not all the prisoners who were arrested and deported by the U.S. government were proven to have any affiliations with the terrorist gang. An innocent Venezuelan soccer player and children’s coach was among those transferred to El Salvador earlier this month. Allegedly, his only crime was that he had a tattoo, which the government insists is a gang sign. 

The soccer player, Jerce Reyes Barrios, had a tattoo of a soccer ball, crown, and rosary with the inscription “Dios.” Barrios got the tattoo to express his love for his favorite soccer team, Real Madrid. However, the U.S. government mistook it for a gang sign and deported Barrios to El Salvador while he was awaiting his asylum hearing. 

Related: Innocent Athlete Gets Deported To El Salvador Prison By Donald Trump Over His Tattoo: ‘Nazis in the US Were Treated Better Than This’

Barrios’ family members came forward to say that he had no gang affiliations whatsoever and was never charged with a crime throughout his stay in the U.S. However, they have not been able to contact him since he was deported.