Lawyers and relatives have raised concerns about the detainees’ wellbeing, citing a lack of contact since their arrival. Hernandez Romero’s lawyer, Lindsay Toczylowski, expressed deep concern over his client’s safety, stating that he had a compelling asylum case and was targeted in Venezuela due to his sexuality and political opinions.
Photographs by Time magazine’s Philip Holsinger captured images of Hernandez Romero at CECOT, where he reportedly cried out for his mother and denied being a gang member. Toczylowski fears for his client’s survival, describing the conditions as “horrifying”.