Democrat Slams Noem’s Refusal to Check if ‘Legal’ Asylum Seeker She Jailed in El Salvador Is Alive: ‘He Did Everything Right’
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday about the case of Andry Hernandez Romero, a gay makeup artist who legally came to the U.S. last year in search of asylum and has since been deported and jailed in El Salvador without any due process or updates given to his family.
“Now, Madam Secretary, you’ve heard this case today, but I have to speak about it one more time. I think it’s really important. This is Andry Romero. He had an appointment to come to this country to claim asylum. We gave him that appointment. The United States government gave him his asylum appointment. He comes for his appointment. He passes a credible fear interview. He’s a gentle person, as described by his family. He’s openly gay. He was leaving his country for persecution of being gay. He did everything right, claimed asylum. And that was legal,” Garcia began, adding:
And then we sent him to a dangerous prison at the border with no due process. There are claims about his tattoos. He has his parents’ names on his tattoos and two crowns that relate to a festival back in his hometown. We are paying to lock this young gentleman up forever.
What I would ask is, like we asked the ambassador in El Salvador, we have asked for proof of life of Andry. He has had no access to lawyers or family since he has been taken over a month now. No one knows if he’s even alive. His mother just wants to know if he is alive. So my ask to you, Madam Secretary, is the same that I asked the Ambassador. Can we do a proof of life check on Andry just to see if he is alive?
“Congressman, we are utilizing the tools that Congress has given us to apply due process to individuals. We are doing that for every person, and we are making sure that we’re following what you have given us as far as guidance and how things should be implemented,” Noem replied.
“I appreciate that, Madam Secretary, thank you. Would you commit to just letting his mother know, as a mother-to-mother, if Andry is alive?” Garcia replied, adding:
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 to claim asylum. He was taken to a foreign prison in El Salvador. His mother just wants to know if he is alive. Can we check and do a wellness check on him?
Noem deflected, “Our asylum applications are different than the granting of asylum and I don’t know the specifics of this individual case. This individual is in El Salvador and the appeal would be best made to the president and to the government of El Salvador on this–”
Garcia interjected, “We, we, we’ve made that.”
Noem added, “This is not under my jurisdiction and I don’t have…”
“Madam Secretary, you have said that you, that CECOT in El Salvador is one of the tools in the toolbox that you have. You have said and have been quoted as saying that. You and the President have the ability to check if Andry is alive and if he’s not being harmed. Would you commit at least into looking and asking El Salvador if he is alive?” Garcia pressed.
Noem doubled down, “This is a question that’s best asked to the president and the government of El Salvador.”
Garcia fumed in response, “And I think you know very well that you could ask that question. What you are choosing to do, Madam Secretary, is disregard this young man’s life, this young man’s family, who was given an appointment by the United States. I think it is shameful that you won’t even request to see if this young man is alive. His family has no idea, has no access to lawyers. I would hope that we would have the humanity, the humanity to just check if this young man is okay. With that, I yield back. It’s shameful.”
Watch the clip above.
