Kristi Noem refuses to say if gay hairdresser deported to notorious prison is still alive

Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem has refused to discuss the fate of a gay hairdresser with no criminal record, who was deported to a brutal mega prison in El Salvador under the US government’s crackdown on alleged Venezuelan gang members.

Andry José Hernández Romero, 31, was detained by immigration officers in August 2024 after he crossed the southern border to attend a pre-arranged asylum appointment in San Diego, California. He had fled Venezuela and was seeking safety in the US after facing threats for being gay.

His crown tattoos, over the words “mum” and “dad”, were deemed proof that he was a member of Venezuela’s infamous Tren de Aragua, and a “security threat” to the US.

However, family and friends have repeatedly told the media that the tattoos were not gang symbols but a reference to Three Kings Day, an Eastern Christiaan celebration, in his home town of Capacho.

He was held in detention for more than six months before being deported to the Terrorism Confinement Centre, where human rights violations are said to be a regular occurrence, as part of president Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan. It is unclear what conditions he is being kept in or if he is even still alive.

Appearing before a congressional committee hearing on Wednesday (14 May), Noem was quizzed about Romero’s condition.

“Would you commit to just letting his mother know – as a mother-to-mother – if Andry is alive?” asked Democrat representative Robert Garcia. “He was given an asylum appointment by the United States government. We gave him an appointment, we said, Andry, come to the border at this time and claim asylum. He was taken to a foreign prison in El Salvador.

“His mother just wants to know if he’s alive. Can we do a wellness check on him?”

Noem replied that she did not “know the specifics” of the case and because he was in El Salvador, Garcia should ask the government there about his wellbeing. The case “isn’t under my jurisdiction,” she added.

Garcia responded: “You and the president have the ability to check that Andry is alive and not being harmed. Would you commit into at least looking and asking El Salvador if he is alive?”

Again refusing to help, Noem answered: “This is a question that is best asked to the president and the government of El Salvador.”

At the beginning of May, rallies were held across California in support of Romero, with LGBTQ+ leaders demanding he be returned to the US to seek asylum. Even controversial right-wing podcaster Joe Rogan unexpectedly came to his defence. 

Rogan, who endorsed Trump during last year’s presidential election, described the deportations as “horrific” and “bad for the cause”, adding: “The cause is: let’s get the gang members out. Everybody agrees. But let’s not get innocent gay hairdressers lumped up with the gangs.

“And then, like, how long before that guy can get out? Can we figure out how to get them out? Is there any plan in place to alert the authorities that they’ve made a horrible mistake and correct it?”

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