Venezuelan Asylum-Seeker Detained as “Documented” Gang Member Without Proof

(BRYAN, TEXAS) Jesús Escalona Mújicas, a 48-year-old Venezuelan asylum-seeker, was detained by ICE on April 9, 2025 while heading to his construction job in Bryan, Texas. ICE labeled him a “documented” member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua but, according to multiple reports, has refused to provide any proof of that claim to him, his attorney, or the press. The case has become a flashpoint in 2025 over ICE’s gang-labeling practices, due process, and the treatment of Venezuelans swept up in anti-gang operations across the United States 🇺🇸.

Escalona Mújicas remains in ICE custody at the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, pending removal proceedings. As of August 21, 2025, there are no criminal charges or convictions presented against him in either the U.S. or Venezuela. His legal team has asked repeatedly for the records or intelligence behind ICE’s claim. ICE has not released any documentation or details that would let him challenge the allegation.

Detention without disclosed evidence

Attorneys and rights groups say the lack of transparency prevents people like Escalona Mújicas from mounting a defense. They describe a pattern this year in which ICE and other agencies detained Venezuelans as alleged Tren de Aragua members but did not share evidence.

In a high-profile Hays County operation, authorities detained 47 people as suspected gang members; months later, officials had yet to provide proof of gang ties. Advocates argue these practices short-circuit due process.

• Detainees can be tagged as gang members based on tattoos, rumor, or undisclosed intelligence.
• Once labeled, individuals may be pushed into fast-track removal with little chance to respond.

Escalona Mújicas has denied any gang affiliation and presented documents showing his pending asylum case. Supporters say the label has turned his life upside down: a steady job gone, family plans on hold, and the constant fear of removal to a third country and indefinite detention.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, Venezuelan families across Texas report people being singled out during traffic stops or workplace checks and later learning they were listed as alleged Tren de Aragua members without any paperwork to review.

Policy backdrop and legal fights

Enforcement intensified after President Trump signed an order on January 20, 2025 designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Officials describe the gang as a brutal, transnational threat that has gained a foothold in U.S. cities.

Key officials defending the approach:

• Bret Bradford, ICE Houston Field Office Director
• Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary

They cite public safety and national security, arguing that aggressive, fast action can prevent violent crime while removal cases move forward.

At the same time, legal and human rights groups warn the approach strips people of basic rights. They note the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to arrest and deport Venezuelan nationals accused of gang ties while bypassing standard protections.

Important events and concerns:

• In March 2025, the U.S. deported 137 Venezuelans to El Salvador, where they were imprisoned without trial at the CECOT maximum-security facility under a bilateral arrangement.
• Advocates say many deported had no criminal records, the U.S. did not publish their names, and families had no clear legal recourse.

The courts have intervened:

1. April 19, 2025 — The Supreme Court temporarily halted deportations of Venezuelans from northern Texas.
2. May 16, 2025 — The Court granted an injunction keeping the pause in place while legal challenges proceed.

Lawyers representing migrants say the outcomes could reshape how wartime or emergency authorities are applied in immigration cases and whether people receive a fair chance to contest gang labels before removal.

How the detention process has worked in practice

Advocates describe a recurring pattern in 2025:

1. ICE detains a person during a raid, traffic stop, or workplace check.
2. The person is labeled as a gang member.
3. ICE refuses to share evidence supporting the label.
4. The detainee is placed in expedited proceedings with little time to secure counsel.

• Some are removed to third countries under cooperation agreements and held for months without a court date.
• Others, like Escalona Mújicas, remain in custody in Texas while cases move slowly and families struggle to get updates.

For the Venezuelan community in Texas, the climate is tense. People share stories of friends taken in front of children or co-workers missing after a routine shift. Asylum seekers with pending cases fear that a rumor or an old tattoo could trigger arrest. Even carrying immigration papers daily may not be enough if ICE tags someone as Tren de Aragua.

Community groups say they are overwhelmed with calls from relatives asking:

• Where loved ones are being held
• What they can do to help

ICE emphasizes its focus on public safety and says identifying gang affiliates is a core mission. For official statements and enforcement updates, the agency directs the public to its website at https://www.ice.gov. Critics counter that without disclosing the basis for gang labels, the public cannot judge whether the right people are being targeted or whether innocent people are being detained and deported.

The human cost of secrecy

Escalona Mújicas’s case highlights the costs of non-disclosure:

• Without records, his lawyer cannot challenge the ICE label in court with specific facts.
• Without a clear timeline, his family cannot plan for work and school.
• Without transparency about the evidence, public debate risks becoming a tug-of-war of claims rather than a legal process grounded in law.

What happens next will hinge on at least three factors:

1. Supreme Court review of mass deportations and the use of the Alien Enemies Act — this could narrow or uphold the government’s current approach.
2. Advocacy pressure for independent review of gang affiliation claims, including access to records so detainees can respond.
3. ICE and DHS enforcement plans, which indicate multi-agency operations targeting alleged Tren de Aragua members will continue even as court orders shape the pace of removals.

Practical steps for families and detainees

Attorneys recommend simple, practical actions:

• Keep key documents together and accessible (IDs, asylum paperwork, work documents).
• Save proof of work history, addresses, and community ties.
• Write down contact details for at least two relatives or friends who can answer calls if detention occurs.
• Seek a licensed immigration lawyer who can file requests for records and represent the case in court.
• If detained, ask in writing for the basis of any gang label and keep copies of all requests and responses.

Important: Documenting requests and maintaining evidence of ties to the community can make it easier for legal counsel to challenge allegations and for families to obtain information.

Escalona Mújicas remains in legal limbo—a situation that has become common this year. His case captures the human stakes behind national security claims, the court fights over emergency powers, and the daily strain on families waiting for answers.

Whether the government releases the evidence behind his gang label—or a court forces that disclosure—will signal how far the system will go to balance safety with fairness in the months ahead.