• I N A U F
  • Posts
  • Another Innocent Life Torn Apart: The Case of Meryl Gutiérrez"

Another Innocent Life Torn Apart: The Case of Meryl Gutiérrez"

Tangle Is a Glimpse of Hope in Uncertain Times

Feeling like you want to get off the rollercoaster of polarizing politics? Read Tangle — an independent and nonpartisan political newsletter recently profiled on This American Life for helping to bridge the gap between politically divided families. Each day, the newsletter unpacks one important news story, examining it from all sides of the political spectrum.

Another Innocent Life Torn Apart: The Case of Meryl Gutiérrez"

Meet Meryl Gutiérrez, a 19-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker with no criminal record in Venezuela or the United States. He followed the rules, traveling with his father, getting an appointment with immigration officers, and living peacefully in a shared apartment with other Venezuelans.

But this past February, everything changed. ICE agents stopped Meryl outside his home. Despite one agent saying, "this is not the right guy," the other agent insisted, "take him anyways." Now, Meryl is imprisoned in one of the most dangerous prisons in the world, having done everything by the book.

This isn’t just a mistake—this is a pattern. How many innocent men and women have been wrongfully deported by this administration? And how many more stories like Meryl’s will we never even know about?

These are not mistakes. These are human lives being shattered. And the clock keeps ticking.