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A man living in Longview was one of more than 200 immigrants sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador in March聽性视界传媒� and his mother says he doesn性视界传媒檛 belong there.

Francisco Garcia Casique, 24, came to the U.S. illegally in 2023 to help support his family and start a career as a barber. He settled in Longview and worked at Hulk性视界传媒檚 Barbershop and Beauty Salon.

He was arrested by federal immigration officials in February, and one month later, he was sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center, a maximum security prison in El Salvador that houses gang members.

Federal immigration officials have stated that the men sent to the prison, including Garcia Casique, have ties to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan street gang that President Donald Trump has classified as a terrorist organization.

But his mother and other immigration advocates maintain his innocence. Aside from entering the country illegally, he doesn性视界传媒檛 have a criminal record in the United States, and he doesn性视界传媒檛 have ties to the street gang, they said. They also question whether federal authorities mistook him for someone else.

性视界传媒淗e性视界传媒檚 a good son, a good brother,性视界传媒� his mother, Mirelys Casique, told the News-Journal through social media. 性视界传媒淚t's an injustice and a violation of human rights.

性视界传媒淓veryone knows it: international media, the UN, many judges, congressmen and senators. There are innocent people there, and my son, Francisco Javier Garc铆a Casique, is one of them.性视界传媒�

Men didn't have criminal records

The Trump administration has cracked down on illegal immigration, and the administration性视界传媒檚 decision to send more than 200 mostly Venezuelan men to a prison in El Salvador was among its most noteworthy decisions thus far.

Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act as his justification for sending those accused of gang involvement to the prison without giving them due process, USA Today reported. The administration性视界传媒檚 use of the act to deport Venezuelans has faced court challenges, but the U.S. from using the act for deportations, Reuters reported.

The federal government has provided little evidence that the men deported to El Salvador were connected to Tren de Aragua. Reporting by ProPublica, the Texas Tribune and journalists in Venezuela found that , most of which were nonviolent offenses.

Nevertheless, administration officials have said the men are connected to the gang based on evidence gathered from , the Daily Mail reported. ProPublica reported that men性视界传媒檚 tattoos and social media posts also were used by government officials to reach the conclusion that they were tied to gangs.

Garcia Casique has tattoos, including of his family members, and his mother is concerned that immigration officials might have used those as a basis for saying he性视界传媒檚 a gang member, .

Garcia Casique stands out from many of the men deported for another reason: His family and others believe he was imprisoned because he was mistaken for someone else.

Garcia Casique was named in the Texas Gang Database, a list of men in the state with potential gang ties, but a photo of a different man was used with his name, . The entry was removed from the database after the error was discovered, and federal immigration officials still insist that Garcia Casique has gang ties. But his family fears that he was confused with someone who does have a criminal record.

USA Today性视界传媒檚 reporting uncovered that the man whose photo was uploaded mistakenly was Juan Jose Calvillo-Castaneda, who was questioned about having potential gang ties and was removed to Mexico in 2024.

In a statement to USA Today, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, addressed the photo issue and said Garcia Casique性视界传媒檚 removal 性视界传媒渨as not erroneous,性视界传媒� reaffirming the administration性视界传媒檚 belief that he has ties to the gang. The Texas Gang Database said he admitted to having 性视界传媒渟trong knowledge性视界传媒� of the gang during an interview.

His mother disagrees.

性视界传媒淚 understand that there are people who have behaved negatively,性视界传媒� she told the News-Journal. 性视界传媒淭hat doesn't justify harming the life of an innocent person.性视界传媒�

Seeking a better life in America

性视界传媒淚t's been six years since I've felt a hug from my son,性视界传媒� Mirelys Casique said.

Garcia Casique left Venezuela in 2019 for Peru, USA Today reported. He was trying to escape the country性视界传媒檚 violence and worked as a barber. His family needed support, and that性视界传媒檚 what he sought to provide by coming to the United States, his mother said.

性视界传媒淗is passion is to be a barber,性视界传媒� his mother said. 性视界传媒淚t is what he has always done.性视界传媒�

Garcia Casique arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in late 2023, USA Today reported, and he began the immigration process. Ahead of a court date, he was released and taken via bus to Denver. He then found himself in Longview, working at superhero-themed Hulk性视界传媒檚 Barbershop and Beauty Salon.

In a photo published by multiple news outlets, Garcia Casique can be seen sitting in a barber性视界传媒檚 chair at the barbershop.

Employees there declined to speak to the News-Journal for this story.

In February 2024, immigration officials in Dallas detained Garcia Casique at an office there, saying he was a threat to public safety and was a confirmed member of Tren de Aragua. But his family insists that the assertion is untrue and that he had missed an immigration court date, USA Today reported.

Immigration officials questioned Garcia Casique about his tattoos and possibly his home region of Aragua, but those factors don性视界传媒檛 mean he was connected to the gang, his mother told USA Today. He had no criminal record in the U.S. or Venezuela, his mother said.

An immigration judge in April 2024 ruled that Garcia Casique must be deported, but he was released with an ankle monitor, USA Today reported. Officials confirmed that he didn性视界传媒檛 have any criminal background in the country at the time.

Jason Houser, a former Immigrations and Customs Enforcement chief during the Biden administration, told USA Today that Garcia Casique should not have been targeted by federal officials.

After Garcia Casique was released by federal officials, he kept working at Hulk性视界传媒檚 Barbershop, saved money and notified authorities anytime he moved, his mother told USA Today.

性视界传媒淢y son only dedicated himself to his job,性视界传媒� she told the News-Journal. 性视界传媒淗e only had Mondays off to do laundry and clean his room.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒楩ight to get him back性视界传媒�

Immigration officials raided Garcia Casique性视界传媒檚 apartment Feb. 6 and took him to a federal detention center near Laredo, USA Today reported. There, he signed an order agreeing to be deported to Venezuela.

One聽month later, on March 15, he called his mother and told her he would be taken to Venezuela soon, but he never arrived, USA Today reported. His mother and family didn性视界传媒檛 know what happened the Salvadoran prison.

Since her son has been deported, life has crumbled for her and her family, she told the News-Journal.

性视界传媒淗e helped us with medicine and our expenses,性视界传媒� she said. 性视界传媒淏ut that's not such a priority. The priority is to get his life back. And we love him. We're sad, but every day, we try to fight to get him back.性视界传媒�

An organization called that assists immigrants and their families is helping his family obtain legal services. But his lawyers are not allowed in El Salvador, his mother told the News-Journal.

Garcia Casique can性视界传媒檛 make calls from inside the prison, and his mother性视界传媒檚 only hope is that his lawyers will be able to do something聽性视界传媒� or that the Venezuelan president will do something, which seems unlikely given his comments to the media.

性视界传媒淗e's innocent,性视界传媒� his mother said. 性视界传媒淲hy should he stay there forever?性视界传媒�