Homeland Security officials have come under fire for allegedly linking popular sportswear and tattoos to gang affiliation—specifically, the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua—according to documents filed in federal court last week by ACLU lawyers.
The filings reveal that during the Trump administration, law enforcement agencies were advised to treat certain fashion choices as potential gang identifiers. A Homeland Security guide, titled the Alien Enemy Validation Guide, reportedly instructed officers that suspected Tren de Aragua members “favor the Chicago Bulls basketball jersey, specifically Michael Jordan jerseys with the number ‘23,’ and Jordan ‘Jump Man’ footwear.” Tattoos were also flagged as suspicious markers.
But experts say these “identifiers” are unreliable. Venezuelan crime reporter Ronna Rísquez told NBC News that while tattoos are sometimes used by Latin American gangs, they’re far from a universal sign of membership. “You can have no tattoos and still be part of Tren de Aragua,” she said. “You can also have a tattoo that matches other members without being in the gang.”
The reliance on such loose criteria has had real and devastating consequences. According to Mother Jones, ICE deported Salvadoran immigrant Neri Alvarado to CECOT—a notorious El Salvador mega-prison—because of a tattoo that was actually an autism awareness ribbon bearing his brother’s name. “You’re here because of your tattoos,” an ICE agent allegedly told him.
In another case, the government admitted to “accidentally” deporting legal U.S. resident Kilmar Abrego García, despite a 2019 court order protecting him from removal. Abrego García, who lives in Maryland with his wife and their autistic 5-year-old, fled El Salvador in 2011. Homeland Security has said it will not facilitate his return.
The political fallout has been swift—and at times, misleading. Vice President JD Vance, in a tweet last week, falsely labeled Abrego García a “convicted MS-13 gang member,” despite court records showing he has no criminal convictions.
For the ACLU, these cases underscore what they call the Trump administration’s “indiscriminate” approach to immigration enforcement—where owning a pair of Air Jordans or wearing a Michael Jordan jersey could be enough to change the course of someone’s life.
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