The power of redemption

I am neither a politician nor an expert on the deportation of undocumented persons from the US. However, after reading the article in Times of Malta, ‘US flies over 200 alleged gang members to El Salvador despite court block’, and the accompanying comments, I felt compelled to share my experiences.

I am a Catholic religious brother who has lived in the Americas since 1995, with a five-year interlude in India. Over the years, I have worked in prisons across Peru, Colombia, Guatemala and Los Angeles, where I encountered notorious criminals and hardened gang members.

For the past year, I have also been involved in a re-entry programme for individuals recently released from long-term incarceration.

I begin with a simple premise: I did not vote for Donald Trump, and if I were Salvadoran, most likely I would not have voted for Nayib Bukele either. However, many Salvadorans I know personally say that El Salvador’s streets are now safer than ever since Bukele imprisoned those he deemed dangerous gang members. At the same time, human rights groups argue that his government ignores the presumption of innocence and the right to defence.

I must admit that I see validity in both perspectives, making it difficult for me to take a clear stance.

What I would like to share today are three stories of men I know who are facing imminent deportation due to current government policies.

Ramiro arrived in the US in 1980 as a political refugee from Cuba during the Mariel boatlift, which brought approximately 125,000 Cubans to the US, including an estimated 16,000 to 20,000 individuals considered criminals or mentally ill. In 1982, Ramiro was wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. Despite his efforts to prove his innocence, he was unable to find legal representation willing to take his case.

He spent 32 years behind bars. Since his release from prison, he has been a productive member of society – though still undocumented.

On March 27, he faces a deportation hearing. If Cuba accepts him as a dissident, he may end up in a Cuban prison once again. Otherwise, his fate remains uncertain.

Alejandro was two years old when his mother crossed the border from El Salvador to the US. At 14, he joined the Mara Salvatrucha (MS) gang and murdered a rival member. After serving 14 years in prison, he was released last year with a bachelor’s degree in administration and a newfound awareness of his crime, his victims and his remorse. He even had the opportunity to make amends to the victim’s family.

I did not vote for Donald Trump- Karmenu Duca

However, upon his release, Alejandro was immediately detained by immigration authorities and is now fighting against deportation. He has started tattoo removal to erase his gang affiliation but the process remains incomplete. If deported to El Salvador, he is likely to be incarcerated in the CECOT mega-prison built by Bukele, where inmates receive no visits, have no access to the outdoors and are deprived of educational or rehabilitation programmes.

In 1975, as Saigon fell to the Communists, Hoang, a fisherman, fled Vietnam with his wife, Trang. Their son, Quang was born in 1979, and the family, along with other villagers, risked their lives to escape. During their journey, eight-month-old Quang nearly drowned when he fell from a boat’s second tier into the water. After reaching Hong Kong, he was hospitalised and the family was later resettled in San Diego.

At 14, Quang was bullied by white classmates and joined an Asian gang for protection. He was later convicted of attempted murder and has spent the last 24 years in prison.

Now, he is eligible for parole in a few weeks but his future remains uncertain. In our last phone call, he expressed his distress: “My mother would rather I stay in prison than be deported to Vietnam.”

As I stated in the beginning, I do not have answers to these complex situations. I recognise that some individuals must remain incarcerated for the safety of society and themselves.

However, I also believe in the power of redemption and transformation.

Human beings have the capacity to change when they acknowledge their past mistakes, take responsibility and seek to make amends.

In many faith traditions, redemption is about reconciliation – with God, with others and with oneself. A person who truly experiences this transformation can emerge as someone more compassionate and more attentive to the suffering of others.

The question remains: how do we, as a society, balance justice, safety and the belief in second chances?

Karmenu Duca

Karmenu Duca MC is a Missionaries of Charity Brother based in Los Angeles, US.